This emerging haven in Palawan might be the next best location for businesses
Boutique hotel districts and shophouse lots near the beach are just some of the things business owners will love in this rising eco-tourism township in San Vicente
The things that make the first-class municipality of San Vicente, Palawan a tourism hidden gem are the same things that potentially make it what some might call “heaven on Earth” for businesses: a unique mountain-meets-the-sea terrain, pleasant climate, low exposure to natural disasters, and the country’s longest beach line—the town’s biggest tourist draw—to name some.
In fact, its Long Beach Area has already been designated a Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ) by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA). As you might already know, TEZs enjoy special incentives for tourism-related businesses such as tax holidays, which, essentially, allow such ventures to thrive.
In a few years’ time, this idyllic, beachside town will evolve into a world-class destination that’s anchored on sustainability, with such businesses helping fuel the local economy.
For now, San Vicente is taking its very first steps into this exciting growth, with property giant Megaworld at the helm.
Bring your business to San Vicente
Megaworld has chosen San Vicente as the location of its first-ever eco-tourism project, Paragua Coastown, to be developed in the next 10 to 15 years. At 462 hectares, it encompasses several barangays including Kemdeng, on which the project’s first pair of developments will stand: the Mercato Shophouse District and the Porto Hotel District.
The Mercato Shophouse District will feature shophouse lots—low-rise structures that let business owners run their trade such as restaurants, coffee shops, bars and retail shops on the first floor while maintaining living quarters in the upper floors—ranging from 250 to 599 square meters.
Meanwhile, a variety of 450- to 1,199-square-meter lots will be offered at the Porto Hotel District. This area will be ideal for boutique hotels and similar hospitality establishments catering to tourists wishing to enjoy San Vicente’s famous islands, dive spots, beaches and verdant hills and mountains.
Combined, a total of 240 lots will be offered in both areas.
These master-planned districts will be surrounded by landscaped parks and gardens and an esplanade along the creek. They will have close access to the Long Beach Area, as well as its own beachline.
The Mercato Shophouse District and Porto Hotel District will be interconnected by wide, walkable sidewalks and bridges, with an iconic bridge linking them to the Mangrove Reserve Park rising nearby. These will also have direct access to the San Vicente Town Proper and the San Vicente Airport via municipal and coastal roads traversing Paragua Coastown.
Creating a cross-generational community
In an interview, Javier Romeo Abustan, head of sales and marketing, Megaworld Palawan, said that the vision for Paragua Coastown is to create a community for all ages that respects the environment.
“We want to create an exciting community that is sustainable, eco-friendly, and close to nature, but will still allow its future tenants, visitors, and residents to enjoy the conveniences of modern life,” Abustan shared.
As such, aside from shophouses, retail shops, hotels and dining destinations, Paragua Coastown will also have unique residential and recreational offerings to enhance the live, work, play and learn experience that has been the signature of every Megaworld township.
Through Paragua Coastown, Megaworld envisions delivering long-term value to San Vicente as it attracts more tourists and generates more jobs and income, particularly for the locals of the beachside town. This initiative is perfectly aligned with the company’s overall vision of uplifting lives, impacting society and helping shape the nation.
“What we are building here in Paragua Coastown will hopefully help San Vicente become the most popular eco-tourism spot in Palawan and the entire country. We give utmost importance to sustainable real estate because this is what everyone will be looking for when they decide to invest in Palawan,” Abustan said.
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