MODULE 2: V.

Module 2 - HISTORY OF PALAWAN

At the end of this module the students should be able to:

a. summarize the myth and history of Palawan; and

b. explain why Palawan is the Philippines’s cradle of civilization.

Lesson 1 -Palawan: Myths and Legends

A LEGEND IS BORN

A long time ago, the Philippines was apparently one single land. During this time there was a fierce warrior named Pili,
named as such because he owned a pili (local nut) farm.

He also called the land Pinili (“The Chosen One”). Pili had a lover named Pinas, with whom he lived a happy life until the
arrival of foreign invaders. Being a brave soldier, every day he and his army fought relentlessly against the invaders,
remaining unbeaten for a long time due to his mastery of the native long sword, or “tabak”, with the hard wooden shield
called “panangga.”

They were successful for some time, until the inevitable day when massive ships arrived armed with canon. These lethal
balls destroyed Pili’s defense lines, driving the freedom fighters into the hills.

The foreign invaders outfought the locals with their advanced technology, guns and swords, but Pili held his ground despite
being highly outnumbered and with a wounded army to support him.

The legend goes that he looked up to the sky, with his sword in one hand and shield in the other, and whispered a prayer to
their god Bathala. At once Bathala answered Pili’s prayer by proclaiming, “This is my chosen land in the far east!” He
stomped down with his great foot to create cracks in the land which swallowed the invaders. The cracks then spread to
divide the land into several islands in the form of a warrior positioned in a fighting stance. The Visayas form Pili’s shield
while Palawan makes his sword. With Pili and Pinas both mysteriously disappearing during this event, the newly formed
land was called Pilipinas, or the Philippines.

SOME HISTORY

Whether or not the entire land was joined at one point, it is true that there existed a land bridge with Borneo. That is the
reason why a lot of the locals are descendants of the Indonesians.

But other nations have populated the island of Palawan, so that by the time the Spanish colonialists arrived in 1521,
Palawan was already quite developed and trading actively with the Chinese, Japanese and Borneans.

The origin of the name Palawan is uncertain, possibly derived from the Chinese word “Pa-Lao-Yu”, or “Land of Beautiful
Harbors.” Others think it comes from the Indian word “Palawans” (“Territory”). However, most think it comes from the
Spanish word “Paragua”, because Palawan looks like a closed umbrella.
 Lesson 2: Palawan as the Philippines’ Cradle of Civilization
Called as the “Cradle of Philippine Civilization”, the history of Palawan is recorded through fossils and artifacts used by early
human dwellers in the early part of the Holocene. Physical anthropologists examined the bones (a skullcap) found in Tabon
cave and determined it to be about 47,000 years old.

Alongside the bones, other artifacts found were stone flake tools and waste core flakes used in hunting or cooking.

The Tabon Cave Complex, where the remains were found, is a series of caves situated at Lipuun Point in Southwestern
Palawan. It covers around 138 hectares and now converted as a mangrove forest connected to the mainland Palawan.

Photos (Tabon SkullCap and Mandible, and Tabon Cave Excavation Site) from Noypi Collections

The fossils were discovered by a team led by Dr. Robert Fox, hailed as the “Father of Philippine Archaeology”. He started the
exploration and the excavations of the Tabon Caves in the 1960s.

There are studies that purport that the island of Palawan is once part of Sundaland – a biogeographical region of
Southeastern Asia that was exposed during the last glacial period of Pleistocene. With elevating ocean levels, Palawan was
separated to mainland Asia. This conclusion was based on the similarity of flora and fauna found in the island to the rest of
Southeast Asia as compared to the rest of the Philippines.

The rising sea levels by the end of the Glacial age led to the abandonment of the Tabon caves by pre-historic settlers.

PreHispanic Finds

Before the Spanish conquest, the island of Palawan has a thriving community with their own non-formal system of
government, an alphabet, and known to conduct trade with foreign sea-borne merchants. According to some historians, the
name “Palawan” was derived from Chinese word ‘Pa-Lao-Yu” meaning “the Land of Beautiful Harbors”.
Some of the artifacts from this period includes the famous Manunggul Jar – a burial jar proving the wide belief that early
Filipinos believed in life after death.

Early Filipinos believed that a man is composed of a physical body, a life force called as “ginhawa”, and a “kaluluwa” or soul.
This is the reason why the jar cover features three faces – the soul, the boatman, and the boat itself.

The two human figures, both riding the boat, represent a journey to the afterlife. The boatman steers the boat while the
second human figure is at the front with arms crossed on his chest – a common arrangement of the corpse during burial.

The find is an important link in studying the spiritual evolution of the early Filipinos before the introduction of Christianity.

The inside of the jar contains human bones which are covered in red paint and adorned with golden bracelets.

ACTIVITY

 In 200 word-essay , summarize the myth and history of Palawan that being discussed by using your own words.

EVALUATION

 How does Palawan become the Philippine’s cradle of civilization?

SCORING RUBRIC FOR ESSAY