PALAWAN — Senator Erwin Tulfo has committed to advocate for increased funding for hospitals and key infrastructure in Palawan after conducting visits to several remote island municipalities in the province.

Tulfo said his pledge came after an extensive consultation tour covering multiple areas, including Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Kalayaan, Busuanga, Coron, Linapacan, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cuyo, Roxas, Araceli, and Dumaran.

“We directly asked the local government units and the residents themselves. We prioritized the areas which are not being reached by government services,” Tulfo said, noting the importance of engaging communities on the ground.

“For instance, town leaders of Magsaysay, Cuyo, and Dumaran, told me that I was the first-ever Senator of the Republic of the Philippines who visited them. How would we know the needs of the people if we do not see them eye to eye?” he added.

During the visits, Tulfo identified several urgent concerns, including the lack of healthcare facilities, road networks, and sports and wellness infrastructure.

He also highlighted the absence of basic port facilities in many island towns, which he said hampers emergency response and limits economic opportunities for residents.

Tulfo said the consultations form part of his approach to crafting policies grounded in local realities.

“I wanted to see the actual areas first and really talk to the people, so we could push for budget allocations for projects and programs that they genuinely need, especially ahead of the 2027 National Budget deliberations,” he said.

“If we know where the projects are, we can easily track them and monitor their implementation as part of the Senate’s oversight powers,” he added.

The senator also said he would support immediate assistance for the communities, including livelihood programs and the provision of vehicles to help local operations.

Local officials, for their part, expressed appreciation for the visit, describing it as a significant step toward having their concerns directly heard at the national level.