HISTORY
Finding of bone fragments of the Tabon Man can confirm 22000 years of Palawan history. Origin of the cave is still not established; the Tabon caves are charaterized by many “rooms” where has been discovered artifacts and tools.
Many migrants arrived in the Philippines and so Palawan from 220 to 263 AD during the Three Kingdoms period, known as Aetas and Negritos from palawan’s batak tribe descended. Also other tribes reached Palawan as Tagbanwa and Palawano. The political structure was an indigenous form.
During the 982 AD, also chinese traders reached the island; remains found can confirm the existence of chinese and malay merchants.
In the 12th century, by boats came Malay settlers that started to cultivate rice, coconuts, ginger, bananas and much more. Also they raised chickens and pigs and obviously fishing. Being the south of island near to Borneo, the southern part of Palawan Island was under control fo the Sultanate of Brunei for more than 2 centuries.
Afterm came Spanish period, the northern Calamianes islands was the first under spanigh domain. In 1818 Palawan become a single province that was called Calamianes, while in 1858 was divided in 2 provinces: Castilla and Asturias.
In 1902 after the war Philippine-American , Americans adduct civil rule and in 1903 the island was renamed Palawan and fixed Puerto Princesa as capital.
World War II brought Japanese to kill prisoners of war, only 11 men escaped. So Americans attacked Japanese and the island was liberated from the Japanese Imperial Forces in 1945.
NATURE
Unesco World Heritage included Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in 1999 and Tubbataha Reef Marine Park in 1993. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park included large limestone karst with an underground river, that is charaterized that it emerges directly into the sea. There is also a very special biodiversity and have one of the most important forest of Asia.
The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park is an atoll reef with many species with marine turtles and nesting for birds. The site is 100 meters perpendicolar wall.
