PALAWAN ISLAND PHILIPPINES

Palawan Island Philippines is the largest island. The island is half desert, so still undeveloped. T
hYou can enjoy the jungle, mountains, and white beaches. Palawan Island has been rated
by National Geographic Traveler magazine as best Southeast Asia region in 2007, and the 13th
best island in the world! Is the most biodiverse islands in the Philippines. Palawan is an archipelago
with 1,780 islands on the western part. Due to amazing landscapes and high bio-diversity,
Palawan island is known as The Last Ecological Frontier of the Philippines. The northern part
is characterized by incredible clear waters, white beaches, and many species of flora and fauna.
Here at north there are most visited places like El Nido and Taytay, characterized by limestone
cliffs and underwater with many species of tropical fish and coral, also present are five species of
endangered sea turtles. Jungle have about 100 different species of birds!

Endemic Palawan FAUNA

Palawan Bearcat / Binturong (Arctictis whitei)

Palawan Hornbill / Talusi (Anthracoceros marchei)

Palawan Mousedeer/ Pilandok (Tragulus nigricans)

Palawan Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron emphanum)

Palawan bearded pig (Sus ahonorbus)

Philippine / Palawan Pangolin - scaly anteaters (Manis culionensis) Purple crab (Insulamon
palawanense) - 2012 - Hendrik Freitag

+4 other crab species discovered in 2012

Endemic Palawan FLORA ******* Protected Areas

1. Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

* "Is the Philippines major conservation showcase for wildlife habitat holding the single distinction
as the first successful wildlife translocation experiment in Asia"

* established - August 31, 1976

* Presidential Decree no. 1578 (Ferdinand Marcos)

* SEP - Strategic Environmental Plan

2. Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary

*southernmost part of Palawan, near Brookes Point

*the islet migratory and wintering ground for shoebirds and sea birds

*Administrative Order No. 14

*declared April 30,1960

3. El Nido -Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area

*ENTMPRA

*Presidential Proclamation (Joseph Estrada)

*on October 8, 1998

4. Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park

*97,030 hectares

*Sulu Sea

*part of Cagayancillo

*consists of two huge atolls (North and South atolls) and the smaller Jessie Bealey Reef

*also a UNESCO world heritage site declared as of December 1993

*nominated at the New 7 Wonders of Nature (2008)

*part of coral triangle

*hawksbill and green sea turtles

*has atleast 600 fish species, 360 coral species, 11 shark species, 13 dolphin and whale species and
100 bird species

*Tubbataha = two Samal words combination: tuba and taha, which together means a long reef
exposed at a low tide

*featured on the reverse side of P1000 bill ( with the biggest pearl?)

Ship grounding incidents:

*October 31, 2005 Rainbow Warrior (Greenpeace ship)

*Jan 17, 2013 - USS Guardian (US Navy)

*Apr 8, 2013 F/V Min Long Yu (a Chinese fishing vessel)

5. Puerto Princesa Underground River (National Park)

*one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (confirmed Jan 28, 2012)

*also a UNESCO world heritage site declared as of Dec 4, 1999

*contains a full mountain-to-sea ecosystem

 *St.Paul Mountain Range -west coast, St. Paul bay-north, Babuyan River east

*8.2 km long

*second longest underground river on the world (1st-Mexico)

*longest Navigable underground river

*has a 20 million year old Sirenia (Order of sea cows/manatees) fossil embedded in the walls of the
cave (discovered by La Venta)

6. The Malampaya Sound Land and Seascape Protected Area

*Fishbowl of the Philippines

History & Culture of Palawan

It could well be that Palawan Islands were created mil-lennia ago by the
fracturing of a small piece of the Philippine plate: one side tilted and rose above
the sea to form the Palawan mountain ridge, while a part remained level to
become the plains. This might explain the deeper waters on the western coast
than the eastern, at least in the northern parts of the islands.

But this is conjecture. What is true according to historical studies is that Palawan
once connected Borneo to Mindoro and the rest of North Philippines, proven by
the great similarities between the Bornean and Palawan flora and fauna, as well
as ethnic peoples. The Tabon Man is thought to be one of the migrants that used
the land bridge in several migration waves more than 21,000 years ago, who was
buried in a manunggul jar in the Tabon Caves of Quezon around the late
Neolithic Period, or 890-710 BC.

Those who afterwards remained or marooned in the islands by the rising

waters became the indigenous Bataks, Palawans and Tagbanuas, with whom
Chinese traders bartered porcelain jars and dinnerware, brass items and other
trinkets for foodstuffs, gold, and semi-precious stones. One rare find is some
ancient rings called lingling-o made of nephrite or jade. These rings and
pendants are found in other Asian countries, and today are still worn in the
Cordilleras.

Palawan later also came partially under the rules of the Sultanate of Sulu and the
Sultanate of Brunei, who warred on each other for dominion over the islands for
years. Raiding parties of either kingdoms preyed on native settlements even after
Spain established its hegemony, so that forts had to be built in Cuyo, Taytay and
Dumaran, to name a few places, to thwart them, who were misnamed pirates.

Because of this and its size, Palawan was divided in 1859 into two sub-provinces,
namely, Castilla and Asturias. By early 1900s, Palawan was being administered
as three politicalmilitary regions of Balabac, Paragua and Calamianes.

The province was officially named Palawan in 1903 during the military-
governorship of Capt. John Elmick, US Army, by Philippine Commission Act 1363,
which also transferred the History capital from Cuyo Island to Puerto Princesa.

The first Filipino governor of Palawan was the Hon. Ambrosio Pablo, who took
office in 1914.

During World War 2, Palawan became two separate areas: the Free and the
Occupied, each with a governor: Gaudencio Abordo for the Commonwealth, and
Inigo Pena for the Japanese-occupied portion. After the war, Palawans history
marched along as it would to what it is today.

Thus, Palawan has had its share of political, historical, ethnic and commercial
histories, and it should make sense for you to be part of the provinces future by
investing in its continuing development.

"Philippines' last ecological frontier" : Palawan's Environment & Nature

Known the world over as the Philippines' last ecological frontier, the province of
Palawan harbors vast tracts of topical rainforests and a huge expanse of marine
wilderness. Thick canopies of trees carpet mountain ranges running the length of
the mainland. Fringing reefs and coral atolls open a new realm to discover under
the clear waters surrounding this archipelago of more than 1,700 islands.
Ribbons of meandering streams and rivers wind through the mountains,
nurturing robust stands of mangrove in the lowlands before flowing out to the
sea.

Palawan probably has more protected areas than any other province in the
Philippines. The Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in the northern
Calamianes islands is home to exotic and endemic species of animals that roam
freely in its verdant hills and plains. On the northern coastline, the El Nido
Managed Reserve Protected Area is noted for its edible bird's nests and
limestone cliffs. In the middle of the Sulu Sea lies the Tubbataha Reefs, a pair of
coral atolls which was declared a National Marine Park by virtue of Presidential
Proclamation No. 306 issued in August, 1988. In 1993, it was named a World
Heritage Site for its highly diverse collection of fishes and other marine life by
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Along the west coast, the Puerto Princesa City Subterranean River National Park,
another World Heritage Site, has one of the longest underground rivers in the
world. It is also noted for its old growth forests, cathedral caves, white sand
beaches, limestone cliffs and unique flora and fauna. In the south, Ursula Island is
a haven for migratory and resident birds.

Proclaimed as Game and Wildlife Sanctuary in 1967, Palawan is the habitat of

232 endemic species. Some of these unique creatures are the metallic-colored
peacock pheasant, the shy mousedeer, the cuddly bearcat, and the reclusive scaly
anteater. In the forests and grasslands, the air resonates with the songs of more
than 200 kinds of birds. Over 600 species of butterflies flutter around the
mountains and fields of Palawan, attracted to some 1500 hosts plants found here.
Endangered sea turtles nest on white sand beaches, and the gentle dugong feeds
on the seagrass that abpund in Palawan's waters.

Commercial Logging became a thing of the past with the cancellation of timber
license agreements in 1993. That same year, the provincial government created
an environment watchdog, Bantay Palawan to assist national agencies in
protecting Palawan's forests. Total forest cover is about 56 percent of the total
land area of the province while mangrove forest accounts for 3.35 percent based
on the 1998 Landsat imagery. Grasslands dwindled from 19 percent in 1992 to
12.40 percent in 1998. This is an indication of improving soil condition as
deteriorating soil is normally invaded by grass species. Brushlands increased to
25 percent of the total land area.

Rocky coves and sandy beaches lie in primordial splendor along Palawan's
almost 2,000- kilometer coastline. Renowned underwater explorer Jacques
Costeau has described Palawan as having one of the most beautiful seascapes in
the world. Sprawled beneath the seas are nearly 11,000 square kilometers of
coral reefs, representing more than 35% of the country's coral reefs. Myriads of
fish swim in these underwater gardens.

Outstanding geographical features dot Palawan's Landscape. On the west coast,

an array of limestone cliffs extends from Tabon Caves in the south all the way to
Coron Reefs in the northern Calamianes islands.

Mantalingahan,Cleopatra's Needle, and Capuas attract dozens of climbers

yearly.

Physical Feature

Mainland Palawan is divided into the west and east coasts by a long mountain
ridge that spans El Nido and Bataraza, with highest peaks Mt. Mantalingahan
(2,086 MASL) in Brookes Point/Rizal area, Mt. Gantung (1,788 MASL) in
Bataraza, and Victoria Peak (1,726 MASL) in Narra. The main island is about 425
kilometers long, 40 kilometers at its widest, and 8.5 kms at its narrowest
(between Ulugan Bay and Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa City).

Great plains exist, however, in the Bataraza/Brookes Point area, Narra, Coron
Island and portion of Taytay municipality, generally devoted to rice production.
In many areas, however, the mountains begin right from the sea, and would be
inappropriate even for habitation. They are great tourism sightseeing
destinations though, such as the taraw cliffs of El Nido, Taytay, Coron, and
Busuanga, among many.

Four groups of islands comprise the province: Balabac islands in the south, the
Calamianes groups in the north, the Cuyo-Cagayancillo group in the east (Sulu
Sea) and the Kalayaan group in the west (West Philippine Sea). Palawan is
composed of more than 1,700 islands, atolls and islets, ranging from the large
mainland to the small, virtually table-size ones that sink underwater during high
tide.

With the islands are numerous coral reefs and sunken formations that pose risks
to careless nearshore and inshore navigators, but enable the prolific
reproduction of fishes and offer great marine underwater vistas to divers and
snorkelers.

Climate
The province has two climate types: six months each of dry and wet seasons for
extreme north and south, and threeto-four months wet season for the rest of
Palawan. Typhoons rarely visit Palawan, irregularly once every about 20 years,
and much of the early wet season rainfall occurs over the sea.

Geographical Location

Palawan is a narrow archipelago of 1,700 islands on the western border of the

Philipines. Its geographical location makes it seem remote from the rest of the
country, and in fact, some of its southern islands are closer to Malaysia than to
other provinces. The waters of the South China Sea lap the western shores of
Palawan, while the Sulu sea hugs its eastern coast. With a land area of nearly1.5
million hectares, Palawan is the country's largest province.

Its irregular coastline stretches almost 2,000 kilometers long, indented by

numerous coves and bays. Highlands and rolling terrain covered with lush forest
create a cool and scenic landscape. Except for northern towns, which are
occasionally visited by storms, Palawan is generally typhoon-free. Warm weather
prevails from March to May, while the coolest months are from December to
February. Heavy rainfall is usually experienced in July and August , often
accompanied by the southwest monsoon.

Palawan is one of the few relatively peaceful provinces in the country. The crime
rate is low and most Palawenos are contented to live simple lifestyles. Food is
abundant to all that are willing to work for a living. The province is a melting pot
of migrants from various parts of the Philippines and other countries. The influx
of settlers accounts for the high population growth rate of 3.64% annually. Based
on the latest official census, Palawan's population is 755,412.

Investable Areas

There are several areas in Palawan where new investments are needed, where
there are established or captive markets and demand-supply gaps exist. Some
may require newer, more sophisticated technology, while known technologies
may suffice for others, where only capital and enterprise are important.
However, new investments must conform to specific regulations that may be
applicable only to Palawan, especially those related to environment protection.

Agriculture.
Large-scale vegetable production. In many sloping and plains areas in the north
and south, vegetable production may be appropriate, as cash crop to reduce the
provinces dependence on vegetables imported from outside. Markets include
the hotels/pensions, restaurants and general public in nearby municipalities and
Puerto Princesa City. Organic culture should be lucrative, as well as household
hydroponic vegetable production if a fixed market is established in the
community.

Furthermore, the imminent expansion of the Puerto Princesa airport to

international standards will enable growers to export directly to Japan, for
instance, immature okra, eggplant or other vegetables as may be in demand.

Fruit processing. Coconut, mango, cashew, soursop, tomato and papaya are just a
few examples of fruits in Palawan for processing into canned or bottled products.
Except for coconut, however, no large plantations of the fruits exist, but supply
may be obtained from household sources for village-level processing enterprises,
recommended for coconut which can yield various main and by-products.
Production always rises when steady buyers are present.

The establishment of industrial plantations instead of relying on contract

production, on the other hand, is always an option, because much private land
may be leased long-term for the enterprise.

Marine Aquaculture.Marine fish prices are slowly rising in Palawan, while the
demand for crabs, shrimp, prawn and shellfish continues to climb along with the
flourishing tourism industry and a high rate of population growth. There are
many small protected coves, bays and inshore areas in the province usable for
small-scale marine aquaculture to breed high-value fish like groupers, bangus,
small tuna, marine tilapia and snappers, as well as lobsters, prawns and crabs.
Every local government entity will be open for such investments if their
establishment will not hamper the movement of, and restrict the fishing
practices of, the community fishermen. Aside from employment, marine
aquaculture will also reduce population pressure on community fisheries if not
actually benefit from it.

Fish breeding to produce fry of specific species will likewise tremendously help
aquaculture to develop much quicker than otherwise. As it is, prospective
aquaculturists have no knowledge how and where to procure the fry, except
those of bangus and green grouper. A breeding laboratory or two should find
steady markets for their fry everywhere in the province.

Tourism.

Named as The Most Beautiful Island in the World by Conde Nast Travelers
Reader Choice Awards, Palawan is developing into being the most versatile
tourist destination in the country, able to offer practically anything of interest in
nature, from marine to highland flora and fauna, from quaint places to unique
people. And, our sea, sand, and sun places are far from being typical, sometimes
extreme if you are persistent enough to seek what you want. Tourist visits
continue to rise over the years by as much as 50+% in 2010, (25% average in the
last four years) after the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River was declared one of
the New SevenWonders of Nature. Again, this trend is expected to remain steady
if not accelerate in the next years, as accessibility of, and within the, province
improves further. A wide-open opportunity for the intrepid investor.

Therefore, nature-oriented and friendly places to stay offering unconventional

activities, such as underwater marine viewing chambers or similar, mobile reef
observation platforms, diving/snorkeling tours of rarely-reached sites, and flora
and fauna showcases, will be most welcome. Not only will they promote
environmental conservation, but will serve as educational places of interest as
well, both reasons highly desirable for Palawan.

Primary tourism development areas include all the municipalities and islands of
North Palawan and Balabac in the South for the customary sea, sun and sand, and
Aborlan, Narra, Brookes Point, Espanola area for the more terrestrial pursuits.
Accommodation facilities must target high-volume areas outside of the City,
which has a surfeit of it at present.
Power Generation..

Nature-friendly power generation is highly desirable in the province to fill the

power gap particularly in the islands where tourism is growing exponentially. In
many communities, private neighborhood power generation enterprises are
rather common, but these are necessarily limited and do not service households
located farther than their orbits, or otherwise they would be unviable.

In these areas, power beyond simple household needs are imperative to enhance
local trade and industries, and raise the communities standard of living.

Transportation..

The distances between communities in the province requires efficient means of

transport of people and goods, overland or by sea, whichever may be more
feasible for a particular area. Many small communities are not serviced by
regular transportation schedules, hampering their social and economic
development.

In short, the government can develop the roads and bridges, but it cannot buy the
buses and trucks to use them. This must be private sector investments.

IHELP..

The provincial government aspires for a publicprivate sectors partnership in

accelerating the development in Palawan, and thus encourages the entry of
private investments in areas where public capital spending may not be possible,
or not available at the desired scales. The areas covered by the I-HELP agenda
are priority, but other areas are mentioned above.

Elected Officials

JOSE CH. ALVAREZ

Governor
 VICTORINO DENNIS MACALINAO SOCRATES
Vice-Governor

ROSELLER SARABIA PINEDA

1st District Board Member

LEONCIO NACASI OLA

WINSTON GABUATARZAGA

DAVID FRANCIS PAGOROGON PONCE DE LEON

CHERRY PIE BALLESTEROS ACOSTA

MARIVIC HERRADURA ROXAS

2nd District Board Member
SHARON ABOIG- ONDA

SUNNY GONZAGA BATUL

EDUARDO MODESTO VALENCIA RODRIGUEZ

ALBERT GONZALES RAMA

Mission

The Provincial Government of Palawan through the leadership of the HON.

GOVERNOR JOSE CH. ALVAREZ, is committed to build and nurture a PROVINCIAL
GOVERNMENT CULTURE where integrity and excellence in service are a way of
life. It is committed to deliver government services of optimum quality and value,
upholding the highest moral & ethical standards in all government transactions &
operations.

Vision

Palawan is envisioned to become a PREMIER PROVINCE in the country where

peace-loving and empowered people and a progressive economy are in harmony
with a balanced environment and rich natural resources supported by an
adequate, appropriate and efficiently-managed infrastructure and a local
government led by dynamic and responsible leaders.