s the plane hovered above Palawan, everything below was in shades of green - from the emerald sea to the lush vegetation. At the Puerto Princesa Airport, we were greeted by blue skies, sunny smiles, and crisp clean air.

At last, I can finally say that I, a natural born Filipino who unfortunately can count in one hand the number of places I’ve been to in my own country, have finally gone to one of the destinations in the Philippines.

Palawan is the cleanest place in the Philippines and has been receiving awards for it for three consecutive years now. With ecotourism as the number one industry, local residentscooperate in protecting nature and keeping the environment clean. It is also blessed with leaders with foresight, who work with the people to keep Palawan’s lush and pristine beauty.

Viet Ville
From the airport, we took a 30-minute ride northward to Viet Ville for lunch. It is a relocation center for the Vietnamese “boat people” who first settled in Bataan. When they were relocated to Palawan, the Vietnamese, with the help of some generous patrons, were given a place they could call their own and immediately fixed it up to look like home. Soon, the entrepreneurial skills of the Vietnamese broke free and they opened a restaurant to cater to the growing tourist market in Palawan.

They also have a souvenir shop at the back and a Catholic church fashioned after Vietnamese architecture. Sunday mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Palawan in that church, I was informed.

Aside from the Vietnamese cuisine, Viet Ville is also known for their delicious crusty French bread that they supply to the restaurant. The bakery was situated inside the village and while waiting for our lunch to be served I walked out to the bakery to check it out. Who would believe that their bakery was a crude hut untouched by modern amenities? Bread preparation (no preservatives), from the mixing to the kneading, was done by hand and the actual baking was done in a primitive wood-fired oven. Fresh bread was baked and served daily at the restaurant while extra loaves wound up at the city center. As I peeked past the door, the yeasty aroma of warm freshly baked bread wafted across the small room. I immediately bought several loaves (more of a baguette actually rather than the French bread loaf) that would go well with the seafood fondue that we ordered. The healthy Vietnamese fare was accompanied by Vietnamese music upon the insistence of my companions. In some ways, it also added to the authenticity of the place.

Iwahig Penal Colony
Sated and satisfied, we boarded our rented van and proceeded to Iwahig Penal Colony, one of the countries’ rehabilitation and penal colonies where criminals all over the country are sent to serve time. This rehabilitation center has earned a reputation of being a model penal institution that provides livelihood to its inmates through handicrafts. The inmates are so contented with the undemanding life there that some are wont to stay in Iwahig even though they have served their sentences. The clean surroundings and restored buildings have a timeless serenity in itself. Even in the light drizzle, the place has an undisturbed air that makes one forget that the place is a prison center.

We dropped by the livelihood center where we purchased beautifully crafted kamagong walking canes inlaid with capiz shells. They also sold key chains that were fashioned in the shape of the different animals endemic to Palawan. What made these key chains different were the materials used to craft these souvenirs – recycled plastic cups melted and mixed with mud and molded into the shapes of birds and other animals.This rehabilitation center is a gem in a rare setting. Apart from the livelihood center, there is also a picnic ground beside a river that is open to visitors. Inmates take care of the needs of the visitors who stay for the day to go hiking up on a hill that offers a bird’s eye view of Palawan or take a dip in the clear inviting waters of the river inside the property during the summer months. Inmates also prepare lunch consisting of barbecued native chicken and fresh fish from the river.

It really is quite surreal when one feels safe in a place where criminals are taking care of the needs of visitors flocking to the rehab center to admire the scenery, the habitat, and the handicrafts.Crocodile Farm
After Iwahig, we went to the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conser-vation Center (for-merly, Crocodile Farming Institute). The Crocodile Farm was established in 1987 but was later expanded to include a wildlife park to showcase the rare animals found in Palawan. For a minimal fee of P25 per person, our group was given a tour of the facility. Upon entering the building, one sees the skeleton of a five-meter crocodile and its skin framed on the wall. There was also a short film showing of the two kinds of Philippine crocodiles – the saltwater and the freshwater varieties. Then we went to the nursery to see the baby crocs and finally the full-grown salt and freshwater crocodiles.

The wildlife park also houses the rare Palawan bear cat, macaque, pheasant peacock and hen, and other birds native to the place. They also had some ostriches strutting around their pen.

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