I moved to Puerto Princesa, Palawan

For the benefit of others (as I had to look it up to see what the actual costs were):

1000 euros = 52,000 pesos. Cost of living  without entertainments or excursions
260 euros = 13,500 pesos. rent
70 euros = 3,650 pesos. Day out with lunch.

I am curious about where the new houses are, such as yours, as I lived there for a short time a couple of years ago (when the internet there was very slow).
The hospital was good there. Treated for infections from contaminated water.

Hai Ray,
I'm just curious why you moved away from Agoo and how long you lived there. I live in Taiwan and went 4 times to the Philippines within a year. Last time this year in January I rented a scooter and drove around Luzon (Mariveles, Olongapo, Dagupan, Bagiuo, Baler, Santiago) and before in Mindoro (Puerto Galera) and the place which I felt most attracted to was Agoo: not too big, not too small, beach and mountains around, dry climate, nice basilica and all the other stuff around (malls, public market etc.). And people seem to be very friendly there. So, I would appreciate if you could write a few words about it, as I plan to retire in the Philippines in the near future.

I will be scouting that place out in Aug with my girlfriend..where would you recommend I start to find a decent apartment for us for a couple months?

Hi,
My wife (Filipina) and I live in Trinidad, Bohol.
We plan to visit Palawan (for the first time) to celebrate my 81st birthday on Sep 12.
Prob stay 3 nights, 4 days.
We urgently need advice on where to stay.
A beach resort, not over P3,000/nite. But we are NOT backpackers.
We are both Senior Citizens so we need a comfortable room and environment.
Our priorities are a trip on the Underground River and a city tour of Puerto Princessa, but we want to be on the beach, not in town. So anything you guys can recommend for us would be greatly appreciated
I  guess we sound like the average tourists but we are not really, having been married in Manila in 1985. It's just the constraints of time and lack of knowledge of the terrain.

Hello,
3000 per night it's ok. When my father visits me, it takes a room in Marina De Bay, on the sea. I can look it for you. About underground river, I have been very disappointed. If you don't have a very powerful flashlight, you see absolutely nothing. There is no light in the underground river. I remember the guide told us, "here you can place the NASA vessel vertically", but since you are in the dark, you don't see anything. If you are old, the way to go there is not easy too and you have to wait several times to visit the underground river. You need also to take a van and the van is also expensive. It's only my experience. 
At the opposite, we visit several times, the Honda Bay, closer to Puerto Princesa. You can reach the port, in a tricycle, and you take a boat to visit and stay for a while on 5 Islands. Some have good rest house in bamboo and restaurant and very few tourists. We enjoyed so much there. There are not really good beaches on Puerto Princesa. The water depth is usually too short to swim, on long distance from the border. We have a house and our garden goes to the sea. I have a nice sea view from my office, but the tide is very slow. If you go out from the city and go a little to the north, you will find nice white sand beaches also, but the tide is the same. Not easy for swimming.
For me, Puerto Princesa remains the best place for living, but the tourists don't stay a long time in PP, they prefer to visit El Nido and Coron.

8-19-17
Hi Ray,

I owe you, Ray. As soon as I went to the website for Marina de Bay it was a done deal.
We're taking the 2N/3D package with a tour of the Underground River. Plus an extra night cos I booked Cebu Pacific for a 3 night stay in Palawan. Arrive Sep 10, do Underground River Sep 11, do the Birthday scene Sep 12, fly back Sep 13.

We should say hello at the Marina de Bay, with spouses of course. Are you free?
And we are charging up our 2 LED flash/spot lights. Might even buy a bigger one before leaving here.
So, again I owe you - for the tip about no lights inside the river cave.

Any Abu Sharaf inside those caves?

  Take care,

    David & Ellen
***

Hi David,
No danger/terrorism here.
Good that you chose your trip already. Send me a mail when you are here.
***

***

Is that an email address, Ray? With the brackets included?

***

are you still in Palawan - are there many foreigners there? Would be good to meet on one of my visits. Best PAUL

Hello Ray,

Thank you for sharing your experience and the information.
I and my boyfriend are planning to move to Philippines after the New year.
We like Palawan island and it looks like Puerto Princessa is a very good option.
We both work online, so we would need to rent some good place in a quiet area  with a beach and "tropical paradise" but also we would want to have easy excess to shops, pharmacies, super-markets etc.
Do you maybe know some are close to the city or in the city that would work well for us?

Thank you

Annapriori wrote:

Hello Ray,

Thank you for sharing your experience and the information.
I and my boyfriend are planning to move to Philippines after the New year.
We like Palawan island and it looks like Puerto Princessa is a very good option.
We both work online, so we would need to rent some good place in a quiet area  with a beach and "tropical paradise" but also we would want to have easy excess to shops, pharmacies, super-markets etc.
Do you maybe know some are close to the city or in the city that would work well for us?

Thank you

Good luck with you move.  I seek what you seek, however to have this you will need to be living in an expensive area, as the saying goes "you cant have everything"  and in our cases lets assume the everything is a quiet area with a beach, easy access to shops (medical) and for me (maybe not your selves affordable accommodation (purchase or rental).  Just like in the USA and Australia, if you want all three you will be paying for it.  Of course if you can afford to own a car and are prepared to drive (or get a driver) then this is one way around it.

In regards to an island paradise with good wifi for you online work, be prepared for slow internet speeds.  MR D (the president) is trying to bring about change but in the mean time the Philippines has one of the slowest and most expensive internet services in SEA.  There is already another company that from Japan (I think) that is in talks to launch a internet service company here to try and stop the monopoly that currently exists (the reason for the appalling internet service now).

Hope that it all goes well for you.

I am thinking to move there next month. Been in Thailand the last 2 years but always seem to enjoy the Filipinos I meet and work with. There friendliness seems so sincere. Hope to catch up for a beer.

I assume you are aware of the current US Embassy warning about kidnappings there?

I’m visiting there in July. I’d like to find a furnished apartment or house. Are you still loving it there?

Hi Ray,

Just wondering if you still living in Puerto Princesa and how is it all going for you. I was myself interested in Tagaytay on the mainland near Manila, but you got me thinking also about this place. looks good from what I see so far. The isolation is my only worry. At my age I need to be aware of health and if I can get good services there in Puerto Princesa.

Cheers mate... Mike

Hi, if your looking for a base from which to explore your options on Palawan then I suggest the Dolce Vita hotel. 10 minutes from the airport
It’s a smaller place but quite cosy; nice unusual rooms, bar and restaurant. I’m quite sure Robert, the owner, can be of assistance. We’ve been regular guests for about the last nine years hence my recommendation.
Just tell him Gerry and Richard sent you!

Thanks mate... will certainly check it out!

Hi mate,
I visited Puerto Princessa two times. I love the place. I am planning to move down there too. I wanted to open a bar and restaurant to get some income, but the requirement at SEC is too big for me. Well, when I find a way to get an income from there, I will definitely move to Puerto.

He should move back to his home country and because he's not 100% fit, he should try to find a place close to where he has friends and family.

IF I was him, I definitely go back but I a not the smartest kid on the block. I would be leaving behind a country that has been kind to me by giving me a healthy pension, good safe food, good shelter, good climate, good friends, free medical and medicines, and a country I once deemed better than my own in which was good enough to support me,  my wife and kids. Yes I  am also looking at moving there, but not so much to leave this wonderful country Australia, more so to be with the one I love. If I had no other reason to move there... I would stay put. Its just too much a price to pay.

Hello Ray!

I know your post is several years old so not sure if you're still keeping up with this site.  I was wondering if you are still living in Puerto Princesa and if your opinions had changed at all over time. 

I'm planning my escape and have narrowed things down to a couple of places, one of which is the Philippines.  So many seemingly good places to choose from!

Thanks for your info!

Mitch

hi,
I'm thinking about the idea to go to live to palawan
i will like to buy a piece of land there,
i wiLL like to know about prices of land
and paper and stuff like that..
THANKS

mia.astropovic wrote:

hi,
I'm thinking about the idea to go to live to palawan
i will like to buy a piece of land there,
i wiLL like to know about prices of land
and paper and stuff like that..
THANKS

As an expat you are not allowed to own land, can only own a condo in certain developments.  Unless you are marrying a native Filipino count on renting.  Good luck.

Hi Ray

I see you moved here in 2015 - its 2019 - would you be able to give me a brief update on living there - has anything changed?  I was thinking of moving there for a while.

Hi Ray,

I am grow up in palawan and finished study there but been away for almost 12 years now.

At moment we live in Malta and plan to move in PPC with my family. I have mix emotion moving back as I need to make sure that I will have income  to raise my family ( 2kids and my husband)

I'm thinking of putting up a business there, I work abroad as accountant and think that maybe it's good to offer bookkeeping and accounting  services.

ielyn

Are you still in Palawan?

Did you ever move back to Palawan?

DC-If you are addressing your question to me Baguio Jimmy I was only there for about a week. Too hot but did cool off a wee bit in the evenings. Puerto Princessa in general seemed like a nice place.If you go there I do NOT recommend the Ferry boat from Manila.Long and tedious. Nothing to do but walk around and look thru the side windows at all the trash in the sea. I believe it was a 1 way 13 hour trip if I remember right.I took a plane back to Manila.Hour and a half max!

Been to Palawan 4 times - west, north, east and south. 

Will look to acquire a beach-front land there since I'm a Fil-Am, and put up a mini-resort by the beach.     I will look to see if anyone here is interested to do a JV.  It is a legal requirement that any corporation must be 60% owned by Filipinos.  The land  will be my 60% contribution and the building  will be the partner's 40% contribution.  A 3rd-Party market value appraisal shall determine the valuation and any deficit to meet the 60-40 split on either side will make up for it with cash for operations.
In my mind something like this:
Land - $600K
Building - $400K

If successful, I/we can replicate to other places. 
PM me for anyone interested.

Gardo Fuentes wrote:

put up a mini-resort by the beach.

There are resorts for sale cheap because of covid, so I suppouse cheaper than buying land and build.

I send you message about it.

coach53 wrote:

Gardo Fuentes wrote:

put up a mini-resort by the beach.

There are resorts for sale cheap because of covid, so I suppouse cheaper than buying land and build.

I send you message about it.

Definitely worth looking into as well.  Thanks c53.

There were a few rough resorts near the underground River last time I was there 2 years ago before covid... I was thinking the same... Probably a Great time to buy if you can find a "local" deal.

@Ray61

I hope all is well with you

I hope all is well with you Ray. We have not heard from you since 2017.

@Davidgdv check out Costa Palawan. Very nice and about 60 usd per night good breakfast included. Good luck.

Hi folks.

My wife and I are both Aussies and currently in Australia, though my dear wife was born and raised on Palawan and we both love this island. We have spent a lot of time there, and altogether now we own five properties and several businesses.

If people want to ask us anything about Palawan, please feel free to ask if you want, and we will try to answer you honestly.

Of interest, for us anyway, this weekend we organized for our local government road-making team to construct our half-kilometre plus drive-way in from the nearby national highway and across our latest property purchase.

They are happy to do this for free on weekends if you provide the diesel and their meals. We are now awaiting a dozen concrete culverts for the under-road water-ways, and for the gravel, and we should/will finish this roadway across the property next weekend.

We intend to leave as much of the property as green and natural as possible, so with its great views, my wife wants to run it as a tourist-adventure farm. Or maybe not whatever, we'll need to see. We've dug deep wells, with excellent water, and run electricity a kilometre, and built a double toilet block, so we might just sell it for up to maybe say four times what we have just paid for it, but whatever?

Anyway, here's the dozer and very experienced gentlemen starting the roadway this Saturday, then half-way with a temporary place for the gravel, and then making the final stretch yesterday, whereby you can still see the original footpath in and out from this lovely 5ha property:

That is awesome P1. My wife and I are planning to visit the Philippines in March and have a few days of leisure days in Palawan. We have never been to the Palawan Islands. We'll be in the Philippines for 2 weeks. I wonder if you have recommendations on who we can use as guides or who to use say for underground river tour, decent local fare restaurant, accommodations, etc.

@PalawOne

This is really amazing. Good for both you and your wife and your contributions to the local peoples and your working together with the local Government.

On my bucket list,  i have wanted to open an orphanage for special and/or abandoned children. I have had my doubts as to how and when i might ever do this, but your story shared definitely gives me renewed aspirations to push forward with this ambition of mine.

Thank you for sharing!