Palawan Governor Victorino Dennis Socrates is setting his sights on Kalayaan Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as the next attraction that will be opened for tourists.
Local officials of Kalayaan made a brief visit to meet with Socrates on Monday, February 27, where they tackled pushing Senator Sonny Angara’s recent bill titled, “Declaring Cluster in the Municipality of Kalayaan, Province of Palawan as an Ecotourism Destination and Protected Area.”
“With its impeccable beauty, the island is an ideal tourist destination. The rich biodiversity and Filipino heritage of the island truly reflects the beauty of a paradise that our country should be proud of,” Angara said in his Senate Bill 2938.
Kalayaan Vice Mayor Billy Alindogan and Board Member Ryan Maminta noted that the Senate bill seeks the creation of the Kalayaan Island Ecotourism Cluster Governing Board that would rationalize all efforts about environmental protection and tourism industry promotion.
Located 280 nautical miles northwest of Puerto Princesa and 932 kilometers (579 mi) southwest of Metro Manila, the Kalayaan Island town is a fifth-class municipality in Palawan and is home to around 200 people.
It consists of a single barangay located on Pag-asa Island where the municipal seat is situated.
Aside from Thitu island, the town is composed of six other islands namely Likas, Parola, Lawak, Kota, Patag, and Panata, and home to three shoals or reefs; Irving Reef (Balagtas Reef), Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal) and Commodore Reef (Rizal Reef).
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