Paragua Coastown is Palawan’s latest eco-tourism jewel
It has brought its pioneering efforts to a new front—this time, to create a new ecological township that will serve as a model for sustainable tourism and green lifestyle.
Property giant Megaworld Corp. is aptly marking its foray in Palawan, one of the most beautiful islands in the world, with a planned 462-hectare eco-tourism community rising in the municipality of San Vicente. Here, Megaworld is pouring in some P40 billion to develop Paragua Coastown, a world-class development that will reflect the company’s thrust towards sustainability, confidence in the recovery of the leisure travel market, and vision to provide a well-meaning opportunity to those who want to live the island life.
Paragua—which literally means “beside” (para) “water” (agua)—is the former name of Palawan when the Americans established civil rule in the northern part of the province after the 1902 Philippine-American War. A year after, the province was re-organized to include the southern part and was renamed Palawan with Puerto Princesa as its capital.
ECO-TOURISM COMMUNITY
“Paragua Coastown will be our first eco-tourism community covering beachfront and inland properties in San Vicente, Palawan,” said Kevin Tan, chief strategy officer of Megaworld.
“San Vicente appeals to us in so many ways. First, because of its laidback charm and second, it has the longest beach line in the country—about three times longer than that of the White Beach of Boracay. In fact, it ranks just second to Indonesia, the world’s biggest island nation, as far as having the longest beach line in Southeast Asia is concerned,” Tan explained.
What further makes San Vicente, with its 22 islands, an ideal destination for Megaworld is that it is also home to Port Barton, a popular tourist attraction in northern Palawan. On top of that, it is strategically located a few minutes away from the San Vicente domestic airport, which serves regular flights to and from Manila and Clark.
Over the next 10 to 15 years, Megaworld will embark on a mindful development of this sprawling eco-tourism township. Here, it will create a sustainable eco-tourism community that will provide new opportunities for local residents, travelers and businesses, while ensuring that San Vicente remains a cradle of biodiversity with its pristine beaches, lush forests and rich wildlife.
SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
It’s highly reassuring to note that Megaworld has a solid track record in creating sustainable townships, rightfully integrating the environmental, social, economic and cultural contexts to ensure balance across all fronts.
“While we transform it into a world-class development, we also commit to the preservation of the island’s biodiversity. We have successfully demonstrated how we take care of the
environment while pursuing development through our Boracay Newcoast project in Malay, Aklan,” Tan said.
Today, 40 percent of the entire Boracay Newcoast remains devoted to green and open spaces, as Megaworld had originally committed when it first announced its plans for the said development. The company was also the first to establish its own sewage treatment plant in the whole of Boracay, long before the government mandated every resort and hotel operating on the island to have one.
“More than just sustainable
tourism, our vision for Paragua Coastown is to be able to provide an opportunity to those who want to live the island life and even raise their families in that part of Palawan. We envision to start building a cross-generational community in Paragua Coastown that will thrive and appeal to people and families with varied lifestyles,” Tan added.
By early next year, Megaworld will start with land development for its 27th township, specifically a 83-hectare property in Kemdeng, which has its own pristine beachline.
Sustainable architecture will define this exciting new township, which will feature a mangrove reserve park and other eco-tourism facilities; residential developments that include private villas, serviced apartments and themed villages; facilities for holistic wellness; a cultural center; hotels and resorts; educational facilities; as well as boutique hotel and shophouse districts.
“We are committed to preserving the natural surroundings—the beach, the mountains, the cliffs and many more—that the picturesque town of San Vicente has been known for all over the world. Along with this, we will also do our part in helping preserve and grow the rich biodiversity that thrives on the island by having features that support this objective, like for example, a mangrove reserve park,” Tan said.
“With Paragua Coastown, we also intend to help San Vicente continue to become a major player in the local tourism industry. The town boasts of many fantastic sceneries and natural features, and there’s an immense potential waiting to be tapped in the area that will benefit the town for years or even decades down the line,” Tan added.
Tourism is one of the country’s major economic growth drivers owing to its massive multiplier effect across different industries. A hotel, for instance, directly and indirectly generates jobs across sectors including hospitality, tourism services, retail, food, transportation, crafts, among others.
“Just like any other emerging tourism hotspot, development must be pursued for this potential to start bearing fruit, and we are more than committed to pursuing this with the help of the community while also safeguarding and preserving the natural surroundings and the area’s rich biodiversity,” Tan concluded.
PRESERVING, GROWING BIODIVERSITY