Puerto Princesa receives laurel for environment maintenance

Palawan has just given couples more reasons to consider Puerto Princesa as their honeymoon destination.

The city, in its goal in protecting its rich and vast ecological treasure earned the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Environmentally Sustainable Cities Award given last October 8, 2008 at Hanoi, Vietnam.

In a press release posted t the ASEAN website, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan said that “each city that received the Award tells a compelling story of how it has placed environment and nature at the core of city planning, the challenges it faced, and its resolve to ensure the cities remain environmentally sustainable as it develops and modernizes.”

Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn expresses his gratitude to Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), who nominated the city, and the ASEAN for acknowledging their efforts to protect and conserve the natural beauty of the city amidst the high industrialization of other cities in the country. According to him, the cooperation of the Palaweños in all actions to safeguard its environment was the key to the implementation of his projects.

Dubbed as the Philippines’ Last Frontier, Palawan is home to vast hectares of rainforests, natural caves, high mountains, dive sites and breathtaking beaches.

Its line-up of tourist attractions consists of the El Nido Marine Reserve and Beach Resort; Tabon Cave, recognized as the “Cradle of Philippine Civilization”; Honda Bay filled with islets and dive sites; the Tubbataha Reef and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park which were proclaimed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993 and 1999, respectively. The latter has remained first, while the former, fifth in rank in the candidates for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

Aside from natural wonders, couples can find the island a great venue for their honeymoon.Several resorts offer special honeymoon packages at very affordable prices. Its white sand beaches are also perfect for a sunset beach wedding.

To know more about Palawan wedding packages and suppliers, you may visit Kasal.com Wedding Resources.

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Kasal.com thanks the following sources for this article:

ASEAN Press Release. Ten Cities in ASEAN Receive the ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable City Award. Retrieved October 16, 2008
http://www.aseansec.org/Bulletin-Oct-08.htm#Article-3

Manila Times Internet Edition. Puerto Princesa bags first environmental award. Retrieved October 16, 2008
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/oct/16/yehey/prov/20081016pro3.html

Marinay, Manny B. Manila Bulletin Online. Hagedorn: Peoples’ participation key to protecting environment. Retrieved October 16, 2008
http://www.mb.com.ph/ENVI20081016137929.html

New7Wonders. The top 77 candidates of the New7Wonders of Nature Nominees (Live Ranking) October 18, 2008
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/

Palawan.com. Puerto Princesa bags green award (original story posted at Business Mirror). Retrieved October 18, 2008
http://www.palawan.com/articles.php?article_id=162&PHPSESSID=f9aef7c1725bdb0b7486c38923bb043b

Palawan.com. About Palawan. Retrieved October 18, 2008
http://www.palawan.com/about.php?PHPSESSID=492d8fb1249d1d2d0489cccf8e268201

UNESCO.org UNESCO World Heritage List Retrieved October 18, 2008
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list

Wow Philippines. Explore Philippines – Palawan Retrieved October 18, 2008
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/explore_phil/place_details.asp?content=famousefor&province=22