Palawan

Philippines’s Last Friontier

 History
Long before it became “The Best Island in the
World” and became a major tourist destination for many
travellers and honeymooners, Palawan was just a long island
province in the map of the Philippines that have served a
significant role over the years especially during those dark days
of colonization from one colonizer to another.
Palawan is the largest province in the Philippines and is
stretched between Mindoro in the northeast and Borneo in the
southwest. It lies between the South China Sea and the Sulu
Sea.
 History
The early history of this province was determined by a
team of researchers led by Dr. Robert Fox who has found the
evidence of life from the remains they unearthed in the Tabon
Cave – proving that man has continuously lived in Palawan for
more than 50,000 years. They also found the remains of those
they called “Tabon Man” in the municipality of Quezon.
Although the origin of the cave dwellers was not yet
established, anthropologists believe that they came from
Borneo. Until now, excavations and explorations are still done
in the Tabon Cave which was dubbed as “the Cradle of
Philippine Civilization” to find other yet discovered items and
remains that could be useful for further studies.
 Tradition and Beliefs
Most of the traditions or practices in Palawan were adapted
from the Spanish time particularly the influence of Catholicism.
Beliefs The principle on which the Palawan bases their life is
called ingasiq, meaning ‘compassion’. This underlies all their
actions and emphasizes the importance of behaving with
generosity and sympathy towards others. Their ceremonies,
prayers, chanting and healing dances are all part of what they
call adat et kegurangurangan, or ‘the customs of the ancestors’.
For the Palawan, the universe is vertical and divided into
fourteen different layers.
 Tradition and Beliefs
The souls of the beljan(shamans) are able to travel to these
other levels in order to ‘heal the world’ and to re-establish the
cosmic balance. Shamans are not seen as special or sacred
people, but are those who, either in a trance or dream is able to
enter the invisible world and contact super-human beings. They
can see and extract impurities that are causing sickness from a
patient’s body. They are also usually experts in the use of
medicinal plants. Good health is dependent on a balance
between the body and its ‘life force’ (kuruduwa). The loss of
kuruduwacreates a disturbance, which makes the body
vulnerable to illness and attacks by malevolent beings.
MUN
ICIP •Aborlan
ALIT
IES •Agutaya
OF
PALA •Araceli
WAN •Balabac
•Bataraza
•Brooke's Point
•Busuanga
•Cagayancillo
•Coron
•Culion
•Cuyo
•Dumaran
MUN
ICIP
ALIT
•El Nido
IES •KalayaanLinapacan
OF
PALA •Magsaysay
WAN
•Narra
•Quezon
•Rizal
•Roxas
•San Vicente, Palawan
•Sofronio Española
•Taytay, Palawan
 Popular Foods
Chicken Inato

Chicken Inato is a delicious grilled chicken dish. The

chicken is marinated in a unique blend of spices and herbs, then
grilled until done. Several restaurants in Palawan island serve this
special grilled chicken dish and they are all very good.
 Popular Foods
Tamilok

Sampling exotic food in Palawan will most definitely broaden

your culinary horizon and expand the way you think about food.
One of the most popular dishes is the Tamilok. Tamilok known as
woodworm, it’s actually a mollusk harvested from mangrove trees.
It has a very long, soft and flabby body which tastes like an oyster
 Popular Foods
Fresh Seafood

Palawan seafood is a wonderful product. There is a large

variety of fresh and tasty seafood which is easily accessible and
affordable. KaLui is the best seafood restaurant in Puerto Princesa.
They offer a wide variety of dishes which depends on the fresh catch
of the day. The menu includes Tuna, Shrimps, Blue Marlin, Crab,
Lobster, Seabass and squids.
 Popular Foods
Crocodile Sisig

Another exotic dish you can try in Palawan is Crocodile Sisig, a

variation of the sizzling dish that typically uses pork. The taste of crocodile
meat is similar to chicken, mild flavoured and firm in texture. It’s a healthy
meat due to its high protein and low-fat composition. Some of the Filipino
dishes that can be made from crocodile meat are sisig, Bicol express,
sausages, and tapa. Sisig, which means “to snack on something sour” it refers
to a method of preparing fish and meat marinated in a sour liquid such as
calamansi juice or vinegar, then seasoned with salt, pepper, and other spices.
 Popular Foods
Lato Seaweed

Lato seaweed, also known as or sea grapes or green caviar

is a very popular dish in Palawan due to its soft and succulent
texture. Lato is usually served with a vinegar dip, or as a salad with
onions, tomatoes, and vinegar.
 Popular Foods
Chao Long
Noodles

Chao Long noodles have been introduced to Palawan by the

Vietnamese immigrants. Puerto Princesa’s Chao long is flat, thin rice
noodles in a sweet-savory broth with meat (beef or pork), served
with the requisite plate containing sprigs of mint and basil, raw bean
sprouts and calamansi
 PALAWAN’s
TOURIST ATTRACTION
Puerto Princesa
Subterranean River
National Park

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a

protected area of the Philippines located about 80 kilometres (50 mi)
north of the city centre of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and which
contains the Puerto Princesa Underground River.The park is located
in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the western coast of the island,
and has been managed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa
since 1992.
Secret Lagoon

Miniloc Island’s Secret Lagoon (also Hidden Lagoon) is

actually an open secret, and a very popular one at that. Concealed
behind the towering karst cliffs, the Secret Lagoon seems like a
precious masterpiece that the dark limestone walls need to protect at
all cost.
Calauit Safari Park

Is a game reserve and wildlife sanctuary located in Calauit

Island, a 3,700 hectare island in the Calamian Islands chain that lies
off the coast of Palawan in the MIMAROPA region of the
Philippines. It is known for its wildlife sanctuary with a substantial
population of African animals, including giraffes, zebras, and
antelopes, as well as local fauna that all roam freely in a game
reserve created in the 1970s.
Shimizu Island

Simizu Island, also called Shimizu Island, is one of the

numerous islands dotting Bacuit Bay in El Nido, Palawan. This
small island is part of the El Nido Island Hopping Tour A package,
so it can get crowded during midday. As alternative lunch stopover,
tourist boats bring their guests to Payong-Payong Beach instead.
Ugong Rock

Ugong Rock was known to be a dwelling place for natives

hundreds of years ago based on the artifacts found in one of its
chambers, as confirmed by Prof. Jun Cairon, a curator from Palawan
State University. Ugong Rock Adventures offer a different kind of
experience. You would climb up through steep rocks, pass through
narrow passages and cry your heart out at their zipline, where they
boast of to be the fastest zipline in the country.
PALAWAN’s
Festivals
Baragatan festival

This festival is held two weeks before foundation day (23rd

of june). In this festival different cultures converge in parades and
markets.
Each municipality makes a float using mostly native and natural
materials to show what their place is known for. From coconut shells
and woven leaves to seeds in many colors, you’ll be amazed at the
locals’ creativity.
Kulambo Festival

This festival is held on every 18th day of March in El Nido.

This is a festival where people dance in the streets of El Nido where
they use a Kulambo (mosquito net) as a costume.
The top attraction during this event is the eye-catching costumes of
the participants of the street parade who utilized the use of kulambo,
which is also known as mosquito nets, in their attire. The town fiesta
is marked by dancing, singing, and large gatherings and presentation
of various types of delicacies in the area.
Pasinggatan festival

This festival is held from the 25th of April till the 4th of may in
Taytay. The festival means appearance or jet. The purpose of the
festival is that everybody shows their talents. A lot of dancing and
nice food.
Pagdiwata Tribal Ritual
Festival

It is a Tagbanua tribal ritual asking the gods to heal the sick.

It is also a thanksgiving ceremony. (In this ritual, the locals give
thanks to God for the bounties which they continuously receive and
requests for God to heal the ill who resides in the province of
Palawan. Since this is a spiritual ritual, the people celebrate this on
the month of December when the moon is bright and full.
Tarek Festival

The Tarek Palawan Festival is annually conducted during

the third week of the month of January by indigenous groups
particularly those who belong to the Tagbanua tribe and the Batak
tribe. The mean feature of this festival is ritual dances and is also
celebrated in the municipality of Aborlan just like the Pagdiwata
Tribe Ritual.