Encyclopedia
Palawan is an
island province of the
Philippines located in the
Southern Tagalog region. Its capital is
Puerto Princesa City and it is the largest province in terms of land area. The islands of Palawan stretches from
Mindoro to
Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the
South China Sea in the northwest and Sulu Sea in the southeast.
The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island.
People and culture
Palawan is a melting pot of 87 different cultural groups and races. Basically, the people are of Malay origin, with sprinkling of Chinese and Spanish bloodlines. Its culture has a strong influence from Borneo, China and the Middle East. Influx of migrants from other parts of the Philippines accounts for the high population growth rate of 3.98% annually. Eighteen percent of the population is composed of cultural minority groups such as Tagbanua, Pinalawan, Batak, Ken-uy , Calamian, Jama-Mapuns, Molbog, Tausug and Samal-Bangingi.
Economy
Geography
Ecotourism
Palawan is considered to be the Philippines' "last frontier". The province boasts of many splendid beaches and has two
World Heritage Sites: Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.
Political
Palawan is subdivided into 23 municipalities and 1 city.
The Philippine government claims most of the
Spratly Islands, locally called the Kalayaan Group of Islands, in the South China Sea Islands to be under the jurisdiction of Palawan.
Religion
The predominant religion in Palawan is
Roman Catholicism. Pockets of
Muslims can be found in the southern municipalities with Muslims making up the majority of the population in some municipalities in the far south like Balabac and
Bataraza. Members of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a strong presence on Palawan, as well as the
Seventh-Day Adventists,
Iglesia ni Cristo,
Jesus Miracle Crusade and Protestant religions.
City
Municipalities
Physical
Palawan is the Philippine's largest province in terms of total land area. It consists of the long and narrow Palawan Island, plus a number of other smaller islands surrounding the main island. The Calamian Group of Islands, to the northwest consists of Busuanga Island,
Culion Island, and
Coron Island. Durangan Island almost touches the westernmost part of Palawan Island, while Balabac Island is located off the southern tip, separated from
Borneo by the Balabac Strait. In addition, Palawan covers the Cuyo Islands and Cagayan Island in the Sulu Sea. The disputed
Spratly Islands, located a few hundred kilometers to the west is considered part of Palawan by the Philippines, and is locally called the
Kalayaan Group of Islands.
Palawan's almost 2,000 kilometers of irregular coastline are dotted with 1,780 islands and islets, rocky coves, and sugar-white sandy beaches. It also harbors a vast stretch of virgin forests that carpet its mountain ranges.
Region
Palawan was originally part of the
Southern Tagalog Region . When the region was split, it became a part of the former MIMAROPA .
Palawan on 2001 rejected by virtue of a referendum to be a part of
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
President Gloria Arroyo included Palawan by virtue of Executive Order No. 103, dated May 17, 2002, as part of MIMAROPA .
Palawan was moved to Region VI on May 23, 2005 by virtue of Executive Order 429. However, Palaweños have criticized the move, especially due to a lack of consultation, with most residents in every municipality except one and Puerto Princesa City preferring to stay with Region IV-B than transfer to Region VI.
Administrative Order No. 129 was issued on August 19, 2005, to "resolve" the negative backlash and as part of the supervison of the transfer process of Palawan from MIMAROPA to Western Visayas.
History
Pre-colonial Era
Ancient Chinese traders and waves of migrants arrived in the Philippines by way of land bridges between Borneo and Palawan. A Chinese author referred to these islands as Kla-ma-yan , Palau-ye , and Paki-nung . Pottery, china and other artifacts recovered from caves and waters of Palawan attest to trade relations that existed between Chinese and Malay merchants.
In the 12th century, Malay settlers began to populate the island. Most of the settlements were ruled by Malay chieftains. These people grew palay, ginger, coconuts, camote, sugar and bananas. They also raised pigs, 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.
Spanish Rule
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 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 Borneo ceded southern Palawan to Spain.
At first, the territory of Palawan was organized as a single province named Calamianes, with its capital in Taytay. Later, it was divided into three provinces:
Castilla covering the northern section of the province with Taytay as capital,
Asturias in the southern mainland with Puerto Princesa as capital, and
Balabac Island with its capital in the town of Principe Alfonso.
American Rule
When the Spaniards left after the 1898 revolution, a civil government was established by the Americans. Provincial boundaries were revised in 1903, the name of the province was changed to Palawan, and Puerto Princesa declared as its capital.
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.
Palawan Massacre
During World War II, in order to prevent the rescue of prisoners of war by the advancing allies, on 14 December 1944, the Japanese herded the remaining 150 POWs at Puerto Princesa into three covered trenches which were then set on fire using barrels of gasoline. As prisoners tried to escape the flames they were shot down. Some escaped by going over a cliff that ran along one side of the trenches, but were later hunted down and killed. Only 11 men escaped the slaughter and between 133 to 141 were killed. The site of the massacre can still be visited. The massacre is the premise of the recently published book "Last Man Out: Glenn McDole, USMC, Survivor of the Palawan Massacre in World War II" by Bob Wilbanks, and the opening scenes of the 2005 Miramax movie, "The Great Raid".
Honda Bay Kidnappings
In May 2001 Palawan hit the headlines when the militant Islamic group
Abu Sayyaf abducted 20 guests from the Dos Palmas Resort, located in Honda Bay outside of Puerto Princesa City. The kidnapping raid led to a massive U.S.-backed security operation, and unfortunately two hostages were later killed. Significantly, there have been no repeat incidents of this kind in Palawan, and the combination of a beefed-up military presence and radar surveillance has considerably boosted security. Basically, Palawan is a safe place to visit.
Is Famous For
Calauit Game Preserve & Wildlife Sanctuary. - It is a unique game reserve and wildlife sanctuary of exotic African animals and endangered endemic animals of Palawan.
- Established on August 31,1976 by virtue of Presidential Decree No.1578, this was initiated in response to the appeal of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to help save African wildlife when former President Ferdinand Marcos attended the 3rd world Conference in Kenya. By virtue of RA 7611 , administrative jurisdiction of DENR was given to the local government of Palawan, effective December 31,1993. Management of the area is the responsibility of the PCSDO . It is located in Calauit Island, Busuanga, Palawan.
Coron Reefs, Coron Bay, Busuanga. - Seven enchanting lakes surrounded by craggy limestone cliffs attract hundreds of nature lovers to Coron Reefs in Northern Palawan, near the town of Coron.
- Busuanga Island, whose main town is Coron, is the jump-off point for numerous dive operators. The principal dive sites are 12 WWII Japanese shipwrecks sunk on September 24, 1944 by US Navy action. They range in depth from the surface to 40M. This large variety offers exciting wreck exploration for enthusiasts, from novice divers and snorkelers and recreational divers to experienced TEC divers. Dive operators offer PADI dive courses ranging from Discover Scuba to Assistant Instructor, Technical and Enriched Air Diving, as well as other specialty courses. Dive operators offer day diving, snorkeling trips, and overnight dive safaris. Live-aboard and charter boats also offer diving in the area.
El Nido Marine Reserve ParkUNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES:Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park 1999This park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with an underground river. One of the river's distinguishing features is that it emerges directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full 'mountain-to-sea' ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia.
-UNESCO
Tubbataha Reef Marine Park 1993The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 332 km², including the North and South Reefs. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the North Islet serveing as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100 m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands. -UNESCO
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