The island of Palawan can be found on the Mimaropa region of the Philippines with Puerto Princesa as its capital. It is known as the Last Frontier as it is stretched out in the archipelago. It points to Borneo and just above Malaysia’s Sabah Island.

Palawan is the largest province in the country having a land area of 14,896 square kilometers. It runs nearly 2,000 kilometers of irregularly shaped islands, islets, and beaches. It expands from Mindoro in the northeast all the way to Borneo in the southwest.
The island is thriving economically through agricultural means. Among its three major produce are palay, coconut, and corn. Other resources include minerals such as nickel, manganese, chromite, and cropper. To go along with farming and mining, logging is also an important provider of economic growth. The mountains found in the island are good sources of timber.  The fishing industry is also booming due to the rich fishing grounds of the province. In fact, nearly half of Manila’s supply of fish comes from Palawan. It is also the only oil-producing province in the Philippines.

The name of the province comes from its largest island which is the Palawan Island.Palawan’s history was tragically stained during the Second World War. December 14th was the day in which 150 prisoners of war at the capital of Puerto Princesa were placed in trenches in order to be burned alive. Only 11 men escaped the massacre. The deaths of these men were the focus of a book recently published by Bob Wilbanks entitled "Last Man Out: Glenn McDole, USMC, Survivor of the Palawan Massacre in World War II".

The island province has 367 barangays and 23 municipalities, 13 of which are considered as mainland municipalities. The people are a mixture of various groups and races as a total of 87 cultural groups live together. Because of this, inhabitants of the island speak a multitude of dialects including Tagalog, Cuyunon, Ilonggo, Tausug, Batak, Tagbanwa, Palawan, and Kagayen.

The largest province has a lot of untouched and unblemished areas. It is the home of a lot of exotic plants and animals. Because of its sheer size, the biggest reservation of animal wildlife and different can be found here. The highest tourist attraction is the group of Calamian Islands. It has the combination of white sand beaches, crystal blue water, and a diverse marine life.

Known how to get to Palawan? Share your knowledge to fellow travelers. Email us at cmt@explore.ph

• Puerto Princesa City (1)

• Puerto Princesa City (0)