Tourism in Palawan is on the path to recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic and onslaught of Typhoon “Odette” in 2021. In 2023, tourist arrivals in Puerto Princesa City climbed to 556,608—a significant increase from 2021’s 32,170, and nearly half of 2019’s 1.18 million.

PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. are supporting tourism resilience efforts in the province by enhancing business opportunities with the help of technology. PLDT Enterprise, the corporate unit of PLDT, in collaboration with the Puerto Princesa Tourism Council, recently organized a forum at Costa Palawan Resort attended by hotel and resort owners, travel operators, hospitality business workers, students, and other tourism stakeholders in the city.

The event themed, “#FurtherTogether: Rebuilding Tourism in Puerto Princesa,” featured learning sessions on tourism destination resilience led by former Cebu Tourism Head Boboi Costas and lectures on the use of e-commerce platforms for micro, small, medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to widen their reach. The session also highlighted the significance of the Smart Messaging Suite as a go-to market strategy to reach customers for MSMEs in the region.

“Tourism brings employment opportunities, creates revenue for the local government, and stimulates economic growth for the region. Our goal is to bring our products and solutions to SMEs here in Puerto Princesa. At PLDT Enterprise, we are committed to driving the success of our partners nationwide by helping them expand their business and boost their profitability,” said Rafael P. Davila, SMBiz Regional Luzon Business Head, PLDT Enterprise.

According to Costas, sustainable tourism can be achieved by being resilient. He added that this could be done by identifying risks, engaging stakeholders, and drawing strategies, such as instilling preparedness and investing in early warning systems.

During the activity, the participants also learned about how they could maximize e-commerce platforms, such as TikTok Shop, to increase their income and reach.

“Through our eBizNovation program, we empower MSMEs, which include small-scale tourism-oriented enterprises, with digital skills to market their products online. We collaborated with TikTok Shop to train entrepreneurs on using e-commerce to enhance the competitiveness of their businesses,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, Stakeholder Management Head, PLDT and Smart.

During the event, Cyril Negosa, City Tourism Office’s Training and Information Section Chief, emphasized that some of the biggest challenges for residents happened at the start of the pandemic and during Typhoon Odette.  Most of the residents relied on tourism for their livelihood, and as tourism later reopened, technology also played a big role in the rebuilding efforts. “How can we promote our products and destinations without technology? Connectivity is really helpful to us, especially because Palawan is an island,” Negosa added.

PLDT and Smart have been supporting the tourism sector by championing digital innovations that promote local destinations, and resilience among communities where tourism is a primary livelihood.

The group’s programs designed to uplift farmers and MSMEs through technology signify its commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty; and 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. These efforts also highlight PLDT Group’s support to the Go Digital Pilipinas Movement, as a founding member of the Digital Infrastructure pillar of the Private Sector Advisory Council.