PFAC Palawan stands for Philippine First Asylum Center. Formerly called The Vietnamese Refugees Center (V.R.C.) and used to be located along Rizal Avenue Extension past the Puerto Princesa airport in Bancao-Bancao on Palawan Island. No longer in operation today but used to be a refugee center for the Vietnamese people seeking political asylum. It opened officially in late 1979 and remained in existence up to 1995. It was moved to Santa Lourdes (Viet Ville) and it finally folded in 2005. The PFAC formerly called VRC had a population of 12,000 Vietnamese and Chinese refugees (A.K.A. Boat People) in 1981-82.
Some of the Volunteer Agencies (A.K.A. Volags) that helped the Vietnamese refugees facilitate their immigration to Western countries are as follows:
UNHCR, WESCOM, Holy Trinity University (HTC-PFAC), ARMDEV, PCCS, IOM, ICM, CADP, BRACE, The Roman Catholic Church, The Buddhist Pagoda, The Philippine National Red Cross, The Rotary Club International, British Volunteer Services Organization (BVSO), Escole Sans Francais etc.
The Philippine First Asylum Center is completely gone today. The Puerto Princesa government turned the area into an airport facility.
There are no traces of the former PFAC left. However, returning Vietnamese may visit Vietville for nostalgic purposes.
There are no traces of the former PFAC left. However, returning Vietnamese may visit Vietville for nostalgic purposes.
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