Palawan

Palawan, officially the Province of Palawan is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of MIMAROPA. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. Its capital is the city of Puerto Princesa, but it is governed independently from the province as a highly urbanized city.The islands of Palawan stretch between Mindoro in the northeast and Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and the Sulu Sea. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island, measuring 450km long, and 50km wide.HistoryThe early history of Palawan was determined by a team of researchers led by Dr. Robert B. Fox. They found evidence in the Tabon Caves that humans have lived in Palawan for more than 50,000 years. They also found human bone fragments, from an individual known as Tabon Man, in the municipality of Quezon, as well as tools and other artifacts. Although the origin of the cave dwellers is not yet established, anthropologists believe they may have come from Borneo. The Tabon Caves are now known as the Cradle of Philippine CivilizationAncient timesThe Palawano and Tagbanwa, are believed to be direct descendants of Palawan's earliest settlers. They developed a non-formal form of government, an alphabet, and a system of trading with sea-borne merchants. Surviving ancient tribal artwork include reliefs of elephants, sharks, and fish found at Tabon Caves. Approximately 5,000 years ago, a culturally distinct period characterised by jar burials is evident. This era lasted till AD 500. Over 1500 jars and a mural depicting a burial procession were found.