PALAWAN

HERITAGE
CENTER
 INTRODUCTION

Palawan was “Palao-yu” or the land of beautiful, safe harbors to the Chinese;
“Palavas” to the Hindu Indians for it’s abundant plants; and called “Paragua”
Spanish for umbrella or island of fresh water and the land of promise, by the
Spanish chronicler, Plgafetta.

The real story of Palawan and her people begins from around 50,000 to 22,000
years ago, centuries before westerners stumbled upon it’s shores. Fragments of
her past have been discovered proving ancient man has roamed this rugged but
bountiful land using the natural bridges from Borneo.

Centuries before the people of Palawan were dominated by western colonizers,

they had a social structure based on kinship as with the rest of Southeast Asia.
They lived abundantly from the fruits of the earth and sea. They also had their
own language and a form of syllabic writing.

Three colonial powers came to it’s shores to conquer her-- the Spaniards who
preached the Catholic faith to the natives and fought a long running war with
the Muslims; the Americans who promised liberation and brought modernity;
and the Japanese who brought the nightmare of war.

Valliant Palawenos fought gallantly against the foreign oppression and after
almost four hundred years under the control of colonial masters, independence
finally allowed increase in population and steady progress. Palawan is now in the
midst of accelerated growth through self-governance and face a bright and
promising future.

(THIS INFORMATION IS FROM THE PALAWAN HERITAGE CENTER.)

DOCUMENTATION
 HEIRLOOM JAR 12 (IMPERIAL COLORED)

TINGKOP SWATAW BLUE AND WHITE PLATE (10.5’’)

- A WOVEN RICE BASKET

USED FOR TRANSPORTING

THINGS OR KEEP IN EXTENDED STORAGE

 BABAYLAN

PLONING

KEREBAN ( DART CONTAINER ) BAKA TAPAYAN

WALKING CANE. BADUNG

THE BATAK

REACTION PAPER
It is truly amazing that Palawan is both rich in culture and tradition. Palaweños
are proven to be talented in all aspects just by visiting the Palawan Heritage
Center and seeing all the wonderful art and sculptures that our talented
Palaweño artist made I can truly vouch for that statement. The different kinds of
art styles used to make the paintings inside the Center were truly baffling and
but not surprising for I expected nothing less from our Palawan. All of them
were unique and beautiful, they all had deep meanings and stories behind them
and it was majestic learning about them one by one.

The Palawan Heritage Center shows the province as a melting pot of different
migrants from the many regions of the country, and a home to various
ethno-linguistic groups like the Palaw’an, Batak, Tao’t Bato, and Tagbanua.

I learned a lot about our history and tradition during this visit and I am
enlightened. Our culture is rich and beautiful, the things we believe in and the
things make like Kereban, Tapayan, and Badung that helped them for their
everyday lives. Our culture is innovative.

Our ancestors who taught us well to honor these beliefs and traditions, to pass it
onto us and to continue for it to live is wonderful. Palawan went through a lot
before becoming the beautiful Province that it is now. I learned so much about
our history and how we’ve overcome such hardships to have what we have now.

Im a proud to be in this place that has such history, tradition, culture, and
talented people in it. I am proud to say that I am a Palaweño
 REFLECTION

Palawan’s rich history and cultural diversity should be acknowledged by many

and as Palaweños we should be very proud of our heritage. We should learn a lot
more about Palawan and the people that resided there over the years. A lot of
history with wars and how this island was a strategic area for militants fighting
for its valuable location should be known for it is part of our history.

I learned so much about Spanish, Japanese and American eras, and some
artifacts discovered in Tabon cave that dated back to the homo erectus age. The
jars that were part of our culture and beliefs, the weapons that our locals used
back in the day. Our indigenous people like Batak Tribe and many others. I’ve
learned so much and have seen so much about Palawan.

Palawan is among the most historically significant islands in the Philippine

Archipelago. This elongated piece of land in the westernmost part of the
Philippines, plays a major role in the discovery of ancient Philippine inhabitants
and their way of living. Even its name is arrayed in a colorful history of
evolution.
The culture on Palawan can best be described as colorful and diverse.
Throughout the ages there are different groups of people with different cultural
backgrounds to Palawan arrived to build a new life. Already faced present
strains with different cultures from countries such as China and Malaysia. These
migrants brought with them knowledge which include was agriculture on the
island in an acceleration of growth. Besides knowledge, these migrants also took
new habits with them. Because marriages took place between existing tribes and
immigrants, there was a cross-fertilization between different cultures. This has
led to many cultures living together in harmony.

The Palawan culture is characterized by the different influences of cultures that

are interwoven through the ages with the already existing cultures on the island.

I learned so much about Palawan because of our trip to The Palawan Heritage
Center and I sincerely hope that our young Palaweños visit it as well.