Palawan

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This article is about the Philippine province. For other uses, see Palawan (disambiguation).

Palawan

Province

Province of Palawan

Palawan Provincial Capitol

Flag

Seal

Nickname(s):

 Philippines' Best Island[3]

 Philippines' Last Frontier[4][5]
 The (Spaniards') Land of Promise[6]
 Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°00′N 118°50′ECoordinates: 10°00′N 118°50′E

Country Philippines
Region Mimaropa(Region IV-B)(in transition)[1][2]

Founded 1818

Capital Puerto Princesa

Government
• Type Sangguniang Panlalawigan
• Governor Jose C. Alvarez (PDP-LABAN)
• Vice Governor Victorino Dennis M. Socrates (NUP)

Area
[7]

• Total 14,649.73 km2(5,656.29 sq mi)

Area rank 1st out of 81
(excludes Puerto Princesa)

Highest elevation 2,085 m (6,841 ft)

(Mount
Mantalingajan)

Population
 (2015 census)[8]
• Total 849,469
• Rank 31st out of 81
• Density 58/km2 (150/sq mi)
• Density rank 79th out of 81
(excludes Puerto Princesa)

Demonym(s) Palaweño

Divisions
• Independent cities 1[show]
• Component cities 0
• Municipalities 23[show]
• Barangays  367
 including independent cities:433

• Districts 1st to 3rd districts of Palawan (shared

withPuerto Princesa City)

Time zone UTC+8 (PHT)

ZIP Code 5300–5322

IDD : area code  +63 (0)48
ISO 3166 code PH

Spoken languages  Tagalog

 Cuyonon
 Kinaray-a
 Palawano
 Batak
 Aborlan Tagbanwa
 Calamian Tagbanwa
 Central Tagbanwa
 Kagayanen
 English
 Hiligaynon

Website www.palawan.gov.ph

Palawan (pron. /pəˈlɑːwɑːn/), officially the Province of Palawan (Cuyonon: Probinsya i'ang Palawan
/ Paragua; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Palawan; Hiligaynon: Kapuoran sang
Palawan; Cebuano: Lalawigan sa Palawan) is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is
located in the region of MIMAROPA. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of
jurisdiction. Its capital is the city of Puerto Princesa, but the city is governed independently from the
province as a highly urbanized city.
 The islands of Palawan stretch between Mindoro in the northeast and Borneo in the southwest. It
lies between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. The province is named after its largest
island, Palawan Island(09°30′N 118°30′E), measuring 450 kilometres (280 mi) long, and 50
kilometres (31 mi) wide.[9][10]
With the 5 April 2019 signing of the "Charter of the Provinces of Palawan del Norte, Palawan
Oriental, and Palawan del Sur" (Republic Act 11259), the currently-1 province may become 3 "if
ratified through a plebiscite to be held in the affected areas in May 2020."[11][12] (See 'Contemporary
period' section)

Contents

 1History
o 1.1Ancient times
o 1.2Classical period
o 1.3Spanish period
o 1.4American rule
o 1.5Japanese invasion
 1.5.1Palawan Massacre
 1.5.2Liberation
o 1.6Contemporary period
 2Geography
o 2.1Climate
o 2.2Administrative divisions
o 2.3Region
o 2.4Geology
 3Demographics
o 3.1Religion
 3.1.1Christianity
 3.1.2Roman Catholicism
 3.1.3Protestantism and other groups
 3.1.4Islam
 3.1.5Anitism
 3.1.6Other religions
o 3.2Language
 4Economy
 5Flora and fauna
 6Attractions
o 6.1Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary
o 6.2Coron Reefs, Coron Bay, Busuanga
o 6.3El Nido Marine Reserve Park
o 6.4Malampaya Sound Land and Seascape Protected Area
o 6.5UNESCO World Heritage Sites
o 6.6Ursula Island
o 6.7Rasa Island Wildlife Sanctuary
 7Security
 8Infrastructure
o 8.1Communication
o 8.2Health facilities
 o 8.3Utilities
o 8.4Transportation
 8.4.1Air
 8.4.1.1Domestic
 8.4.1.2Other
 9Education
 10See also
 11References
 12External links

History[edit]
The early history of Palawan was determined by a team of researchers led by Dr. Robert B. Fox.
They found evidence in the Tabon Caves that humans have lived in Palawan for more than 50,000
years. They also found human bone fragments, from an individual known as Tabon Man, in the
municipality of Quezon, as well as tools and other artifacts. Although the origin of the cave dwellers
is not yet established, anthropologists believe they came from Borneo. The Tabon Caves are now
known as the Cradle of Philippine Civilization[9]
Ancient times[edit]
See also: Greater India, Indosphere, Hinduism in Philippines, and Indian cultural influences in early
Philippine polities

An image of a golden Garuda of Palawan, an Hindu artifact, found in the Tabon Caves.

A Siamese painting depicting the Chola raid on Kedah.

The Palawano and Tagbanwa, are believed to be direct descendants of Palawan's earliest settlers.
They developed an informal form of government, an alphabet, and a system of trading with seafaring
merchants.[13]
Surviving ancient tribal artwork include reliefs of elephants, sharks, and fish found at Tabon Caves.
Approximately 5,000 years ago, a culturally distinct period characterised by jar burials is evident.
This era lasted till AD 500. Over 1500 jars and a mural depicting a burial procession were found.[citation
needed]

A more recent wave of migrants arrived between AD 220 and 263. This was during a period known
as the Three Kingdoms. "Little, dark people" living in Anwei province in South China were driven
South by Han People. Some settled in Thailand, others went farther south to Indonesia, Sumatra,
Borneo. They were known as Aetas and Negritos from whom Palawan's Batak tribe descended.[14]
Palawan, along with the rest of Philippines, was part of greater India and indosphere as evident by
the discovery of a gold ornamental pendant from the Tabon caves in the island of Palawan. It is an
image of Garuda, the eagle bird who is the mount of Hindu deity Vishnu.[15] The discovery of
sophisticated Hindu imagery and gold artifacts in Tabon caves has been linked to those found
from Óc Eo archaeological site in Thoại Sơn District in southern An Giang Province of Vietnam in
the Mekong River Delta.[16] These archaeological evidence suggests an active trade of many
specialized goods and gold between India and Philippines and coastal regions of Vietnam and
China. Between 8th to 12th centuries, Philippines was part of Hindu-Buddhist Srivijaya kingdowm,
which in turn was a vassal of the Indian Hindu kingdom of Chola dynasty.[17] Several places
in Malaysiaand Indonesia were invaded by Rajendra Chola I of the Chola
dynasty.[18][19] The Chola invasion furthered the expansion of Tamil merchant associations such as the
Manigramam, Ayyavole and Ainnurruvar into Southeast Asia.[20][21][22][23] The Chola invasion led to the
fall of the Sailendra Dynasty of Srivijaya and the Chola invasion also coincides with return voyage of
the great Buddhist scholar Atiśa from Sumatra to India and Tibet in 1025.[24] The expedition of
Rajendra Chola I is mentioned in the corrupted form as Raja Chulan in the
medieval Malay chronicle Sejarah Melaya, and Malay princes have names ending with Cholan or
Chulan, such as Raja Chulan of Perak.[25][26][27][28][29] With the Maharaja Sangrama Vijayottunggavarman
imprisoned and most of its cities destroyed, the leaderless Srivijaya mandala entered a period of
chaos and confusion. The invasion marked the end of the Sailendra dynasty. According to the 15th-
century Malay annals Sejarah Melayu, Rajendra Chola I after the successful naval raid in 1025
married Onang Kiu, the daughter of Vijayottunggavarman.[30][31]
In AD 982, ancient Chinese traders regularly visited the islands.[14] A Chinese author referred to
these islands as Kla-ma-yan (Calamian), Palau-ye (Palawan), and Paki-nung (Busuanga). Pottery,
china and other artifacts recovered from caves and waters of Palawan attest to trade relations that
existed between Chinese and Malay merchants.[13]
Classical period[edit]
In the 12th century, Malay immigrants arrived. Most of their settlements were ruled by Malay
chieftains. These people grew rice, ginger, coconuts, sweet potatoes, sugarcane and bananas. They
also raised swine, goats and chickens. Most of their economic activities were fishing, farming, and
hunting by the use of bamboo traps and blowguns. The local people had a dialect consisting of 18
syllables.[13] They were followed by the Indonesians of the Majapahit Empire in the 13th century, and
they brought with them Buddhism and Hinduism.[32]
Surviving Buddhist images and sculptures are primarily in and near Tabon Cave.
Because of Palawan's proximity to Borneo, southern portions of the island were under the control of
the Sultanate of Brunei for more than two centuries, and Islam was introduced. During the same
period, trade relations flourished, and intermarriages among the natives and
the Chinese, Japanese, Arab and Hindu. The inter-mixing of blood resulted to a distinct breed
of Palaweños, both in physical stature and features.[13]
Spanish period[edit]

Taytay, the capital of Province of Calamianes in 1818 (Spanish Palawan)

After Ferdinand Magellan's death, remnants of his fleet landed in Palawan where the bounty of the
land saved them from starvation. Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan's chronicler named the place "Land of
Promise."[14]
The northern Calamianes Islands were the first to come under Spanish authority, and were later
declared a province separate from the Palawan mainland. In the early 17th century, Spanish friars
sent out missions in Cuyo, Agutaya, Taytay and Cagayancillo but they met resistance from Moro
communities. Before the 18th century, Spain began to build churches enclosed by garrisons for
protection against Moro raids in the town of Cuyo, Taytay, Linapacan and Balabac. In 1749,
the Sultanate of Brunei ceded southern Palawan to Spain.[13]
In 1818, the entire island of Palawan, or Paragua as it was called, was organized as a single
province named Calamianes, with its capital in Taytay.[citation needed] By 1858, the province was divided
into two provinces, namely, Castilla, covering the northern section with Taytay as capital
and Asturias in the southern mainland with Puerto Princesaas capital. It was later divided into three
districts, Calamianes, Paragua and Balabac, with Principe Alfonso town as its capital. and During the
Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Cuyo became the second capital of Palawan from 1873 to
1903.
American rule[edit]
In 1902, after the Philippine-American War, the Americans established civil rule in northern Palawan,
calling it the province of Paragua. In 1903, pursuant to Philippine Commission Act No. 1363, the
province was reorganized to include the southern portions and renamed Palawan, and Puerto
Princesa declared as its capital.[13]
Many reforms and projects were later introduced in the province. Construction of school buildings,
promotion of agriculture, and bringing people closer to the government were among the priority plans
during this era.[13]
Japanese invasion[edit]
After the Japanese invasion, according to Stephen L. Moore, "Pro-Allied sentiment was strong, and it
was later estimated that during the war as many as 1,154 Filipino guerrillas worked against the
Japanese on the island. Those in the underground network would proudly refer to themselves as
'Palawan's Fighting One Thousand'." Early resistance leaders included Dr. Higinio Acosta Mendoza,
his wife Triny, Thomas F. Loudon, and his son-in-law Nazario Mayor. Capt. Mayor organized
Company D in Oct. 1943, and was responsible for the area encompassing Puerto Princesa south
to Balabac Island. Capt. Mendoza covered the area north of Puerto Princesa to Caramay. Lt. Felipe
Batul operated out of Danlig, while Capt. Carlos Amores operated out of Sibaltan. Overall command
of the Palawan Special Battalion was under Maj. Pablo P. Muyco as part of the 6th Military District.
The Palawan guerrillas helped any escaping American POWs, supported two coastwatcher groups
sending regular radio broadcasts to General MacArthur on Japanese movements, helped rescue
downed airmen, and survivors from the USS Flier submarine. Most importantly, they helped guide
the 8th Army's troop landings.[33]
Palawan Massacre[edit]

U. S. Army personnel toiled to identify the charred remains of Americans captured at Bataan and burned alive
on Palawan. 20 March 1945

Main article: Palawan Massacre

During World War II, in order to prevent the rescue of prisoners of war by the advancing allies, on 14
December 1944, units of the Japanese Fourteenth Area Army (under the command of
General Tomoyuki Yamashita) herded the remaining 150 prisoners of war at Puerto Princesa into
three covered trenches which were then set on fire using barrels of gasoline. Prisoners who tried to
escape the flames were shot down.[34] Only 11 men escaped the slaughter.[35]
Liberation[edit]
During the first phase of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, just off the coast of Palawan, two United States
Navy submarines, USS Dace (SS-247) and USS Darter (SS-227) attacked a Japanese cruiser task
force led by Admiral Takeo Kurita, sinking his flagship (in which he survived) Atago, and her sister
ship Maya. Darter later ran aground that afternoon and was scuttled by USS Nautilus (SS-168).
The island was liberated from the Japanese Imperial Forces February 28 and April 22, 1945 during
the Invasion of Palawan.
Contemporary period[edit]
In 2005, Palawan was briefly made politically part of Western Visayas or Region
VI through Executive Order 429 signed by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as a political
move to control the province and a response to getting more loans from China[36] on May 23,
2005.[37] This decree was later deferred on August 18 within the same year reportedly due to the
opposition of the province's Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Council).[38]
In April 2019, a bill dividing Palawan into three provinces sponsored by senator Sonny Angara[39] was
passed into law after the bill was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.[40] The three new provinces
are Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur.[41][42] A plebiscite will be held on May
2020 to decide on whether Palawan will be divided into three provinces or not. Some civil society
groups and Puerto Princesa residents opposed the proposed division, claiming that there was no
extensive public consultation.[43][44][39]
Geography[edit]

A lagoon in El Nido (left). Coron Island (right).

The province is composed of the long and narrow Palawan Island, plus a number of other smaller
islands surrounding it, totalling roughly 1,780 islands and islets. The Calamianes Group of Islands to
the northeast consists of Busuanga, Coron, Culion, and Linapacan islands. Balabac Island is located
off the southern tip, separated from Borneo by the Balabac Strait. In addition, Palawan covers
the Cuyo Islands in the Sulu Sea. The disputed Spratly Islands, located a few hundred kilometres to
the west, are considered part of Palawan by the Philippines, and is locally called the "Kalayaan
Group of Islands".
Palawan's almost 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) of irregular coastline is lined with rocky coves and
sugar-white sandy beaches. It also harbors a vast stretch of virgin forests that carpet its chain of
mountain ranges. The mountain heights average 3,500 feet (1,100 m) in altitude, with the highest
peak rising to 6,843 feet (2,086 m)[10] at Mount Mantalingahan. The vast mountain areas are the
source of valuable timber. The terrain is a mix of coastal plain, craggy foothills, valley deltas, and
heavy forest interspersed with riverine arteries that serve as irrigation.[9]
The province has a total land area of 14,649.73 square kilometres (5,656.29 sq mi).[45] When Puerto
Princesa City is included for geographical purposes, its land area is 17,030.75 square kilometres
(6,575.61 square miles).[45] The land area is distributed to its mainland municipalities, comprising
12,239 square kilometres (4,726 square miles), and the island municipalities, which altogether
measure 2,657 square kilometres (1,026 square miles). In terms of archipelagic internal waters,
Palawan has the biggest marine resources that covers almost half of the Sulu Sea and a big chunk
of the South China Sea that is within the municipal waters of Kalayaan Municipality which was
official annexed to the Philippine jurisdiction by virtue of Presidential Decree 1596 dated
June 11, 1978.
Climate[edit]
The province has two types of climate. The first, which occurs in the northern and southern
extremities and the entire western coast, has two distinct seasons – six months dry and six months
wet. The other, which prevails in the eastern coast, has a short dry season of one to three months
and no pronounced rainy period during the rest of the year. The southern part of the province is
virtually free from tropical depressions but northern Palawan experiences torrential rains during the
months of July and August. Summer months serve as peak season for Palawan. Sea voyages are
most favorable from March to early June when the seas are calm. The average maximum
temperature is 31 °C (88 °F) with little variation all year.[9]
Administrative divisions[edit]
Palawan comprises 433 barangays in 23 municipalities and the capital City of Puerto Princesa. As
an archipelago, Palawan has 13 mainland municipalities and 10 island towns. There are
three congressional districts, namely: the first district comprising five northern mainland
municipalities and nine island towns; the second district composed of six southern mainland towns
and the island municipality of Balabac; and the third district covering the capital City of Puerto
Princesa and the town of Aborlan. Thirteen municipalities are considered as mainland municipalities,
namely Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Sofronio Española, Brooke's Point, Rizal, and Bataraza (located
south); San Vicente, Roxas, Dumaran, El Nido, and Taytay (found in the north). The
remaining island municipalities are: Busuanga, Coron, Linapacan and Culion (forming
the Calamianes group of islands), Cuyo, Agutaya and Magsaysay (the Cuyo group of
islands), Araceli, Cagayancillo, Balabac and Kalayaan (Spratly Islands). The capital, Puerto
Princesa is a highly urbanized city that governs itself independently from the province, but it usually
grouped with the province for statistical and geographic purposes.