Palawan’s tourism and hospitality industries are getting a much-needed boost after a major developer announced that it would be building another luxury hotel in this municipality.

Megaworld, touted as one of the country’s premier property developers and operators, said it would soon break ground on the 10-storey Paragua Sands Hotel, representing its second hotel project in the 462-hectare Paragua Coastown ecotourism township here.

Cleofe Albiso, managing director at Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, told reporters on Thursday that the envisioned hotel will be situated within a five-minute walk from both the beach and the mangrove reserve park, and will be integrated into the large-scale ecotourism township.

This placement ensures easy access to the area’s natural attractions, enhancing the overall guest experience, she said.

“We are very excited to introduce our 20th hotel property in our portfolio, and what better destination to host it than in San Vicente, Palawan, which is home to the longest beachline in the country and the second longest in the entire Southeast Asia,” Albiso added.

It can be recalled that early last year, Megaworld broke ground on the Savoy Hotel Palawan, another 10-storey hotel that the company expects to be operational by 2028.

The company is also currently building the Oceanfront Premier Residences for those seeking a more permanent home in Palawan’s burgeoning tourism hub.

San Vicente is a first-class municipality with a population of under 34,000 as of the latest census in 2020.

The town boasts of the longest coastline in the Philippines and the second-longest coastline in Southeast Asia.

Because of its natural features, this municipality is being heavily promoted by the provincial government as its next major tourism destination.

The Palawan Provincial Tourism Office (PPTO) pointed out that the province was just included in the “World’s Trending Destinations” in 2024 by TripAdvisor, an American company that operates online travel agencies.

Palawan placed 4th in the list along with Seoul, South Korea in 2nd spot, Vietnam’s Halong Bay at 3rd, while Japan’s Tokyo secures the top spot among the 25 destinations, according to the PPTO. (PNA)