INTRODUCTION TO PALAWAN STUDIES Geologic and Geographic Blessings

Why we need to study Local History?

 The province of Palawan is one of the largest
Challenges on Local History province in the Philippines with a total land area of
1,489,655 hectares (14,879 square kilometres).
 A vast number of Filipino laymen lack interest or understanding of
Philippine History.  It is located Southwest main chain of the
 People are less conscious of the value of the past to their present life. Philippine archipelago, projected Southwest from
 It is also possible that such ignorance have resulted from the dearth the belly of the Philippines towards Sabah.
of materials, especially on local history.
 Nation is made up of its parts- the regions, provinces, cities, and  An Archipelago of 1,800 islands and islets on
municipalities. the Western border of the Philippines.
 The nation’s history must be the sum total of the histories of its parts.
 No town or province exists independently of the nation, and vice-  It is the boundary of the Philippines with
versa. Malaysia and some of its Southern municipalities
 Diokno, as cited by Abella (2011) contends that one weakness of our are closer to Malaysia than to other provinces in
history curriculum is the tendency to teach only national history. the Philippines.

“We miss out on important stories like the history of the Filipino Muslims, or Palawan is a Corridor linking the Philippines with Asia, its
our ethno-linguistic groups, of women, peasants and workers and other ancient homeland.
sectors.”
Paragua Spanish: umbrella-shaped
 Local history is expectedly closest to the people’s heart and
consciousness because it reflects their own identity, experiences, and Palao-yu Chinese: land of safe and beautiful harbor
aspirations.
Palavas India: Territory
 It is the interpretative of the past of their locality, embracing its
political, social, economic, and cultural life. Palwa Native Language: Native Plant found in Palawan
 Thus, in order to understand and, consequently, one should know the
history of his own locality and its contributions to regional  Stretches 425 kilometers northeast of Borneo toward Mindoro.
development and over-all nation building.
Highest points: Mt. Mantalingahan, Mt. Gantung(Victoria), Cleopatra’s
 One may never achieve a fuller understanding of the Filipinos and
Needle
the Philippines if he failed to study the history of his/her town, city,
province, or region. Babuyan River is the largest river in the Island.
 In his sense, to recognize the value of a national history, one should
also understand the value of history from below, the local
communities like Palawan.
 3. Balabac group of Island

Geographical position of Palawan: Crucial to the movements of people and -is the southern boundary of Palawan with Sabah, it is only 48 nautical
ideas from and into the Philippines. miles from it.

 During the Pleistocene Epoch, Palawan formed a natural land-bridge MODULE 2: LESSON 1
between Borneo and indirectly, South Mainland of Asia.
THE PEOPLE AND CULTURE OF PALAWAN
 Allows men and animals to drift into the islands. For this reason
the animal life and vegetation are more closely related to those
area of Borneo than to those of the other Philippine Islands.
 After the land-bridge disappeared, Neolithic people sailed into and
from the Philippines along east and west coast of Palawan.

2 land-bridges linked to Mainland China:

1. Palawan via Borneo
2. Palawan via Zamboanga

Palawan Island has a 3 main island group.

1. Calamian Group of Island

- is the northernmost boundary with the island of Mindoro (only 45 nautical

from Mindoro). The major islands in these group are Busuanga (where the
municipalities of Coron, Busuanga and Culion (where the country’s former
leper colony is located) are located.

2. Dumaran -Cuyo Group of Island

- is the northern east portion of Palawan. Boundary with the Visayas and the
island of Cagayancillo which is half-way across the Sulu Sea to the province
of Zamboanga in Mindanao. Two municipalities are located in the island of
Dumaran, namely Araceli and Dumaran. Two municipalities are also located
in the island of Cuyo, namely Cuyo and Magsaysay. A few nautical miles
north of Cuyo is the island of Agutaya where municipality of Agutaya is
located.
PEOPLE OF PALAWAN

Tribes in Palawan -Palawan is also home to several indigenous tribes. The

best known tribes are the Tagbanua, the Palawano/Palaw’an, the Tau’t
Bato/Taaw’t Bato, the Molbog, the Batak, and the Cuyonon. There are also
some lesser known strains including Agutayanens, the Calamianes, and the
Cagayanons. All these different tribes, some of which are small in number,
have an important role in the cultural heritage of Palawan.

INDIGENOUS SOCIO-POLITICAL LEADERSHIP SYSTEM

 Pagiboton/Panglima - Chief executive of the community

 Mga Magugurang - Council of elders who serve as AdvisoryBoard
to the Pagiboton
 Balyan - traditional doctor who attends to various medical needs; he
performs rituals.
 Ipang-ipang - messenger; delivers message or decisions emanating
from conflict resolutions and other important matters as ordered by
the Pagiboton.
 Tindog - security officers for the Pagibotob
 Kasapi - members of the community
  Bataks were pushed out of their gathering grounds which was by the
sea and was forced to move into the mountains by emigrants farmers
Batak who were mostly from Luzon. Living in less fertile areas, they
attempted to supplement their income by harvesting and selling
 The Batak tribe lives in the northern part of the province of Palawan. various non-timber forest products such as rattan, tree resins and
The Batak tribes owes its name to the Cuyonons. In their language, honey.
Batak means “people of the mountains”. The Batak people are  Bataks were once nomadic people but this changed when the
naturally peaceful and shy. They are close to nature and use the government has given a small village for them. Still, they often go to
natural resources of the country to meet the daily needs. gathering trips that would take them a few days at a time, a practice
 The Batak people are also referred to as Tinitianes. One suspect that that has both economic and spiritual value to them.
the Batak are closely related to Negrito Tribe. This is partly due to  Bataks are animist – they believe that spirits reside with nature. The
external similarities, such as the short curly hair and dark skin. Bataks make regular offering to these spirits, while Shamans
 The Batak people are generally hunters. They also grow some crop. undergo spiritual possessions in order to communicate with the
This occurs even in the old fashioned way. That means that a forest spirits and to heal the sick.
is cut down and then burned. This creates fertile soil in which they  These days, “pure” Bataks or those whos parents both belong to the
grow their crops. They act with others to get the products that they Batak Tribe have become highly rare due to the incursion by
do not produce by themselves. immigrants and the exposure of the tribe to the society.
 The Batak people search rattan, honey and raisin in the jungle which  Most Bataks would prefer marrying a person outside of the tribe and
they then sell to other products. In history, the Batak Tribe had good will,later on, have children who will choose not to go by the norms
trade relations in the Chinese. of the tribe. As an effect, Bataks are being absorbed into a more
 The Batak have an animistic belief which means they believe in diffuse group of upland indigenous people who are slowly losing
ghost. The two main spirits are the Diwata and Paneyon. The Batak their tribal identities, their unique spirituality and culture.
believe it is possible to communicate with the spirits. This is done
through the Babaylan. The shaman treats diseases within the Batak Cuyonon
tribe to put themselves into a trance.
 Because many people from the Batak tribe rather marry outside their  The Cuyonons you can encounter in the northern and central parts of
own community, the origin of Batak becomes rare. The Batak live a the islands of Palawan. It is thought that the ancestors of this tribe in
hard life and the fact that there is less land where they can live the Malaysia and India came after they have settled in and around the
number of Batak people is greatly reduced. Cuyo archipelago. From this island they have spread across the
 The Batak tribe is a group of indigenous people who lived in rugged various islands nearby. A large number of Cuyonons live in and
interiors of the northeast portion of Palawan. These group of people around the capital, Puerto Princesa.
lives close to nature. They believe in nature spirits with whom they  The Spaniards at the time of the Spanish occupation had a base on
communicate with through the aid of a “babaylan” or a shaman. the island of Cuyo. This allowed the Cuyonons to come into contact
 At present, there are only about 500, or less, Batak people remaining with the Christian faith early on. Many Cuyonons are Roman
in the Philippines. Catholic or Protestant. In addition, animism has retained a place in
 During mid to late 20th century. this culture.
 recorded for the year 2015.

 Animism – is a doctrine that the vital principle of organic  The Cuyonon Tribe, unlike most of the Philippines’ homogeneous
development is immaterial spirit. A belief in the existence of spirits tribal group, is a heterogeneous tribe, their ancestors could be traced
separable from bodies. (Merriam-Webster) back to the ancient migrants and traders who settled down in
Palawan like the Chinese, Arabs, Jews, Indians, Malays, Spanish and
 The Cuyonons believe in intercultural marriages. As a result, the Europeans.
Cuyonons are a mixture of different cultures. So they include Arabic,  The language of the Cuyonons is closely related to the Kinaray-a of
Jewish, Malaysian, Indian, Spanish and Chinese influences. Also iag-ao in Iloilo province, the fact remains as early as 1250’s the early
there are marriages between different tribes taking place among the Cuyonon tribes became the common denominator of all the
Batak, Palawans, Cagayanens, Tagbanuas, Molbogs, Parianean and homogeneous tribes of Palawan because they always intermarry with
Agutaynons. the Bataks, Tagbanuas, Agutaynens, Molbogs and other tribes that
live in Palawan.
 These people call themselves the Palawenos. The Cuyonons are the
elite class among the Palawenos. The Cuyonon tribe has ten sub- Four subgroups of Cuyonon
tribes which all fall under the authority of Chief Datus. Many 1. Paraguanen – the Cuyuno people who settled mostly in the
Cuyonons are politically active and are looking for fame and success. mainland of Palawan (Paragua).
The first Miss Philippines was a Cuyonon and the first female 2. Poroanen – the Cuyuno people who settled mostly in the islands and
ambassador to the Philippines was also from the Cuyonon tribe. islets of Palawan.
3. Mestiso – the Cuyuno who usually are half Chinese or Spanish.
 The bulk of the Cuyonons are traditionally engaged in trade at sea 4. Lakto – the Cuyuno who did not accept Catholicism and lived as
and fishing. They had already been in contact with Chinese traders Animist.
who were looking for swallow nests. The Cuyonons have their own  Cuyonons, unlike the other tribes in Palawan, may be seen anywhere
language: the Cuyonon. in the province of Palawan and even in the city of Puerto Princesa.
They are the ones who have embraced modernization and have
 The Cuyonon refers to an ethnic group that dwells in the utilized it in their daily lives, making it hard to identify them when
municipality of Cuyo. This group of indigent is considered as an they are in public unless you ask them about their ethnicity.
“elite class” among the hierarchy of the natives who lives in
Palawan. During Spanish colonization in the Philippines, Cuyo was Molbog
one of the territories of Palawan that had the strongest Spanish
presence.  The Molbog tribe lives on the island of Balabac. Balabac is an south
island of Palawan. The Molbog are also called Molebuganon and
 This group of people known as Cuyonon, Cuyono, Cuyunon, Molebugan. Molbog is derived from the word Malubog, which
Kuyunon,and Kuyunen. this ethnic tribe in Palawan geography is the means turbid water.
most dominant tribal group in this region –composed of about  One suspects that the Molbogs were migrants from northen Borneo.
240,000 people as On the northerneast coast of Sabah, an endemic group of people
called Orang Tidung or Tirum (Camucone in Spanish) as based on
 their dialect and some of their socio-cultural practices. This is an Mantalingahan on the est and the coast of the west; in their North is
Islamic community that closely resembles the Molbogs regarding the municipality of Quezon while to their South are still unexplored
culture and traditions. Many words match Tausug and Sama regions of Palawan.
languages. The base language is Balabac
 Nowadays, there are more and more marriages between Molbogs and  They have preserved their culture and way of life, the men still wear
Tausug tribes. This is partly because these two cultures are very g-strings that are made from bark and cloth while the women wear a
similar. The children from these marriages are called Kolibugan piece of cloth that is made into skirts to cover their lower body. Like
(mixed race). many tribes, this group of people is half naked but sometimes,
women wore a blouse that they obtain from the market system.

 Their artistry is cruder than any of the other Palawan tribes except in
 The Molbogs have an Islamic belief. One suspects that this is rare cases that involve basketry. Around cave dwellings, they
because Balabac formerly belonged to the Sulu Sultanate. As a construct a light and sturdy lattice – work made of saplings lashed
together and anchored fast to crevices in the walls to provide access
result, many Molbogs converted to Islam.
to the caves.
 The Christian faith is represented among the Molbogs. This is
because the Christian teachers have taught the Bible and so have  The construction of these lattice – works does not depend on any
framework that would hold the unit against the walls; the anchorage
been able to spread the religion among the
people in Balabac is distribution all along the lattice – work in a way that the
breakdown of one section may be compensated for by the other
portions of the construction
 The main source of income is fishing and agriculture. Also barter is
very prevalent with people from Sabah and Sulu.
 There are modification and elaborations on the basic “datag” or
 Like all Muslim groups, Islam is a way of life for the Molbogs. They
sleeping platforms and “lagkaw” or granary, depending on the
observe the Five Pillars of Islam and the basic Arabic chanting that
varying conditions there is in various caves.
may be heard daily in Molbog community.

 The Tau’t Bato are swidden cultivators who practice multiple

Tau’t Bato/Taaw’t Bato/Tao’t
cropping with cassava as their major source of carbohydrates. They
Bato
also produce sweet potatoes, sugar canes, malunggay, garlic, pepper,
string beans, squash, tomato, pineapple and many others.
 The term “Tau’t Bato” literally means “people of the rock”, they are
not actually a separate language or a separate ethnic group but rather
 Throughout the year, hunting and forging are pursued to complement
a small community of traditional southwestern Palawanos who
the carbohydrate diet of the people; most of the wild pigs that they
happen to live in the crater of an extinct volcano during certain
are hunt are caught through spring traps.
seasons of the year. Their houses are built on raises floors inside
caves thought others have set their homes on the open slope. These
group of people is found in the Singnapan Basin, a valley in Mt.
 They also indulge the “samb” or barter and “dagang” or monetary
exchange. The Samb is specifically for marine fish that is provided Central Tagbanua
for them by the Candawaga in exchange for horticultural products
while the Dagang involves forest products like almaciga and rattan. Calamian Tagbanua

 The basic social unit among the Tau’t Bato is the Ka-asawan or  The two groups speak different languages and do not exactly have
marriage group. This extends to the basic couple to the more similar customs.
complex arrangements of a compound and extended family
grouping. The ka-asawan is further grouped into large associations  Tagbanua live in compact villages of 45 to 500 individuals. In 1987,
called “bulun-bulun” which means gathering. These multi-household there are about 130,000 Tagbanuas living in Palawan at present,
bands are physically bounded in terms of areas ofhabitation. however, it dropped to only around 10,000, 1,800 of which are
located in Calamianes.
 Each bulun-bulun normally occupies one cave or a single house
complex in the swidden area for their residence. Being part of bulun-  Tagbanuas have their own unique government system that is being
bulun is characterized by the ecosystem of sharing through different practiced by both the Central Tagbanuas and the Calamian Tagbanua.
types of social and material exchanges such as in food.

Agutaynen
 Because of their uniqueness, the Philippine government declared
there are off-limits to strangers to protect them for unreasonable
exploitation.  This indigenous group is mostly likely to be found in the northern
part of the province of Palawan such as Agutaya Island, Municipality
of Roxas, San Vicente, Brooke’s Point, Taytay and Linapacan. They
Tagbanua may be occasionally spotted in Manila.

 This tribe is found mostly in the Central and Northern portion of  These groups of people are believed to belong to the family of
Palawan. They practiced shifting cultivation of upland rice which is Austronesians and Malayo-Polynesians whose have a long inhabited
considered as a divine gift, they are also known for their rice wine the province of Palawan. They have lexical similarity with Cuyonon
ritual called “pagdidiwata”. The cult of the dead is the key to the and the Calamian Tagbanua, who are also indigents in Palawan.
religious system of the Tagbanua.
 Agutaynens, however, does not have much information and exposure
 The Tagbanua is one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Philippines to public since there are almost no records about this group due to
that can be mainly found in the municipalities of Aborlan, Quezon, the separation of their area to the mainland of the province of
Calamians Islands, Busuanga Island, Coron Island, in some parts of Palawan. According to recent reports, this group of people has also
El Nido and even Puerto Princesa City. begun embracing modernization.

 Tagbanua are brown skinned people with slim and erect stature and
hasstraight hair. This ethnic group is divided into two groups:
 Palaw’an  They built their houses on a hillside that is close to a river or a
stream using four skinny trunks of trees. The floor of their houses is
 The Palaw’an, (also known as Palawano), is an indigenous ethnic about 15 to 20 feet above the ground.
group found in the province of Palawan. This group is divided into
four ethnolinguistic subgroups namely:  They hunt wild animals using spears with lethal poison at the tip of it
and catch fish by using a special root sap that is diluted in a shallow
 Quezon Palawan (Central Palawano) river or stream. The Palaw’an hardly domesticate chickens nor hogs,
they preferred dogs which comes very helpful during hunting.
 Bugsuk Palawano (South Palawano)
 They are considered naïve when it comes to socialization and would
 Brooke’s Point Palawano always welcome outsiders with great precaution since they have always
been scared of getting sick; this form of precaution makes them abandon
Southwest Palawano their area immediately to avoid acquiring any form of the disease – even just
a common cold.
 This indigenous group belongs to large Manobo-based linguist
groups of the southern Philippines. They were originally found in the  It is believed that the Palaw’an have the shortest lifespan of all
interior regions of South Apuruan on West Coast and South of Abo- peoples but there is no statistical data that could back up this claim.
Abo on the East Coast, these regions may be located in the Southern This tribe has no concept of years when they were born, they would
part of the province of Palawan. usually use a tree as the references of their age, saying that they were
born when the tree was just at a certain height.
 The Palaw’an are sharing and caring people who claim theis
ancestral domains in the southern part of Palawan specifically in the  The men in this tribe wear g-strings while the women wear
Barangays of Bataraza, Brooke’s Point, Sofronio Espanola and patadyong which is native wrap that is similar to the malong.
Narra.
 In food preference, the Palaw’ans do not usually use salt, their usual
 Due to in-migration and inter-marriages, however, there are those diet is composed of rice, banana, cassava, vegetable, rimas or
scattered in the other parts of the province but their number is breadfruit, fruits, wild pigs from hunting, birds such as wild quails
negligible. and tikling, wild chicken, labuyo and freshwater fish.

 The Palaw’an were originally nomadic, however, agrarian settlers  They prepare a delicious delicacy called the pinyaram which is
began coming and occupying their vast domain. The tribe used to closely similar to the bibingka of the Tagalogs.
exploit the most fertile piece of land and move on to the next month;
their family units were very small which was probably caused by  They prepare a delicious delicacy called the pinyaram which is
high mortality rates. closely similar to the bibingka of the Tagalogs.
  The Palaw’an believed that when the woman conceives, she is given
all those foods she wants to eat except some foods like: pugita, talbos  AD 982 – ancient Chinese traders regularly visited
ng kalabasa, ober, kuti-kuti, pagi, pusit, balentong at pagong. the islands. This was attested by the pottery, china and
other artifacts that have been recovered from caves and
 The Palaw’an have a different beliefs (pamahiin). They believe that waters of Palawan.
if a person is about to leave and the house lizard makes a sound, it
indicates that there is danger ahead. Classical Time
 During 12th century, Malay immigrants arrived in Palawan with
 Another beliefs of a Palaw’an, if a large lizard (Bayawak) or the bird most of its settlements ruled by Malay chieftain.
called tatong enters the house, this siginifies that there will be an  (These people grew agricultural products such as rice, ginger,
accident that will happen to a member of the family or spirits are cocunuts, sweet potatoes, sugarcane and bananas.)
asking for their share of the harvest or food from festivities which (They also raised animals such as pigs, goats and chicken.)
have been promised them.
o Fishing, Farming, Hunting (by used of bamboo traps)
 During an eclipse, the Palaw’an believe that the moon was and blowguns – were their economic activities.
swallowed by some sort of giant insect and so they make noise by
the beating of gongs and clanging of cans or anything that can make  During 13th century, Indonesian from the Majapahit Empire brought
noise. To create laughter, they make fun by catching a cat using Buddhism and Hinduism in Palawan and later the people of Palawan
fishing net. They believe that the giant insect will throw up and spit followed this.
out the moon it swallowed due to all the noise they made.  Because of the proximity of Palawan to Borneo, southern portions of
the island of Palawan were under the control of the Sultanate of
Brunei for more than two centuries, and Islam was introduced.
The Pre-colonial  During the same period, trade relations become of trend and
Palawan intermarriages among the natives and foreign traders such as
Chinese, Japanese, Arab and the Hindu have also become common.
Ancient Time The mixing of races resulted in a distinct breed of peoples in
Palawan that may be characterized by both physical statue and
 Palaw’an and Tagbanua people are the direct descendant of feature.
the Palawans’ early settlers.  Even before the invasion of the Spaniards, one big influence to the
 220 to 263 AD – a new wave of recent migrants came during a country’s civilization, the Palawan civilization was blooming. They
period called “Three Kingdom” were developing their own language, had their own government and
**(Where “Little Dark People” who were living in Anwei province in their relations with countries like China and other Asian nations were
South China were driven South by Han growing steadily.
people.)
 These people are what most Filipino call Aetas and Negritos
from whom Palawan’s Batak tribe descended.
Lesson 2 The Coming of
Conquistadors
The Spanish
Pigafetta:
Paragua “Those people of Pulaoan go naked as do the others almost all of them
cultivate their fields. They have blowpipes with thick wooden arrows more
than 1 palm long, tipped with points and are poisoned.”
Before the coming of
Conquistadors
The Coming of Conquistadors
 The territories of the province were persistently under the
influence of Islamized people from Borneo and the Sulu  The local datu made peace with the expedition through a blood
Archipelago. A glimpse of Tagbanua, Palaw’an, and Molbog compact. The ships' crews were welcomed to the island with rice
society reveals Muslim dominance and influence in material cooked in bamboo tubes, rice wine, bananas, pigs, goats,
culture and social organization. This is probably because of the chickens, coconuts, sugarcane, and other supplies.
trading industry in southern and central Palawan. The difficulty in  Pigafetta described the inhabitants as being farmers. Their
colonizing Palawan is because of it is under the Muslim influence primary weapons were blowguns with iron tips that could both
since 1200. shoot thick wooden or bamboo darts (some poisoned) and
function as spears once their ammunition were exhausted.
Pigafetta also described the islanders as keeping roosters for
The Moro Raiders
cockfighting.
 As early as 1602, a squadron of Muslim vessels attacked Cuyo  The northern calamians Island of Palawan was under the Spanish
and its neighboring Islands. The raiders injured, killed and authority and later declared as a separate province from the
kidnapped about 700 persons. The following years, Muslims from mainland of Palawan.
Maguindanao collected tribute and captured more natives. (Cesar  In 1570’s, the Spanish Government were collecting tribute in the
Adib Majul, UP Press, 1973) Calamianes and the Cuyo Islands.
 And in 1590’s, Cuyo had one thousand and Calamianes had three
The Coming of Conquistadors thousand tribute payers under the Encomienderos of Panay and
Mindoro.
 After the death of Magellan, in June /July 1521, when Antonio  In 1622, Governor-General Alfonso Fajardo commissioned the
Pigafetta and the rest of the troop of Magellan during its search Count of Agustinian missionaries to colonize Palawan.
for provision and voyage back to Spain, found an Island and the  One expeditionary group from Cebu reached Cuyo, bringing with
called it “PULAOAN”. They called it "la terra de missione" them it five Agustinian Recollect missionaries wih Rev. Fr. Juan de
("the land of promise") due to the fact that they were almost Santo Tomas as their superior. Another arrived in Taytay. With this,
starving by the time they reached the island. they spread Christianity to Agutaya then to Calamianes, and swerved
southward to Barbacan and Aborlan.
  The Agustinian Recollects, without fear and armed with holy 2. Cuyunon life rituals have continued, but with
strength, planted the cross in Cuyo in 1622. They reported a warm Christian names
welcome from the natives excluding the Babaylan (native priest), - The rice cycle and various fiestas are examples (J. Fernandez 90: Prudente
and their policy of Reduccion. 977)
- In the evening of Black Saturday, people remain awake while performing
 In 1632, Fray Juan de San Jose, prior to Cuyo was kidnapped by Erekay an Indigenous oratorical form.
Muslims. He was hostage until a ransom of two thousand pesos was Cilia- A novena for Saint Cecilia, but it may also be a supplication to the
paid. They brought with them many natives as captives. And in anitos asking for good harvest and acure for sickness.
1637, Taga of Sultan Kudarat with a force of Four Joangas ransacked 3. Metamorphosis of the Mangalok
the church of Cuyo.  from being a respected Babaylan to a feared like creature, so as to
 During the spread of Christianity in the Northern part of Palawan. define historical change in the realm of cultural consciousness.
Still the Southern Palawan was controlled by the Muslims under the “Philippines shall be divided into four Departments:
Sultan of Mindanao and Sulu. 1.) Norte-Luzon and nearby Islands,
 In 17th century, another Spanish friars sent out missionaries in Cuyo, 2.) Oriental-Visayas,
Agutaya, Taytay and Cagayancillo but they ended up meeting from 3.) Occidental- Calamianes, Paragua and
the Moro community who were occupying the place. Balabac, and
 Later before 18th century, Spain began building churches that are 4.) Meridional- Surigao, Mindanao,
enclosed by garrisons for protection against Moro raids in the town Basilan, Jolo, and northeast Borneo”
of Cuyo, Taytay, Linapacan and Balabac. In 1749, the Sultanate of -- Junta Especial par alas Reformas de Administracion Y Gobierno delas
Brunei surrendered southern Palawan to Spain. Islas Filipinas, hacia 1871 cited by Ocampo, 1985

Spanish Motives Towards Gobierno Political de Paragua

Centralization
 By the beginning of the 19th century, a military force consisted of  The first two centuries of Colonization in Palawan was singularly
Compania de Infanteria Española Y Pampanga, based at the Fort of characterized by the dominance of the Religion in the affairs of the
Sta. Isabel in Taytay. But aside from the Muslims raids, Spanish government.
authorities in the province has an anxiety and alarm about the people  This was because the main function of the Civil Government was to
of Palawan. collect tribute. The situation was not really conducive to good
1. About 2/3 of the natives still vigorously observe government because the missionaries were to exercise tremendous
Pre-Hispanic rituals powers over the inhabitants. It was not until 1871 when the central
- A large number of inhabitants has been gathering in the mountains to pay government was recognized wherein the Philippines was divided into
homage to a certain Virgen del Monte as they had 30 years before. The four Departments.
French naturalist Alfred Marche noted that the natives of Cuyo periodically  In 1818, the entire island of Palawan was called Paragua and Taytay
scaled Mt. Caimana, carrying stones to deposit at the top. was be the capital.
 In 1851, Governor-General Fernando Norzagaray ordered the
division of Palawan into two Politico-Military provinces.
 1. Castilla - the northern island of Palawan composed of Calamaines
and the capital was Taytay. Politico-Militar Government
2. Asturias - the southern island of Palawan and the capital was Puerto
Princesa. 1. Who was qualified to be a Governor of Paragua?
 In April 16, 1861, a task force was sent to explore a place in Paragua *Must have a rank of Captain of the Navy.
to establish a military post. The expedition was composed of two
Lieutenants of the navy, a Commander of the Artillery and a Captain 2. What were the previleges as Governor of Paragua?
of the Engineers. *A salary of 3,000 pesos.
 In 1871, Palawan and Balabac became one of the four Departments.
The rationale was to strengthen the civil government and 3. What were the task of a Governor in Paragua?
evangelization of the inhabitants particularly in areas dominated by *Responsible for the allocation of funds for the maintenance and
the Muslims. operation of the province; and
 Palawan was made of three administrative units known was *He was instructed to befriend the Tagbanuas and provide them
Calamianes with Taytay as its Capital; Puerto Princesa; and with good animals. Construction materials, seedlings, and other
Balabac was solely under the Military rule as advance post to guard needs for production.
the southern territories.
 The Compania de Infanteria Española (Spanish Marine Politico-Militar Government
Infantry) was based in Santa Isabel, a fort in Taytay to protect the 1. Provincial Officials of the newly established Politico-Militar
inhabitants from the Muslims. The commission also entrusted to Government:
investigate the possibility of relocating the military force to Paragua 2. Politico-Military Governor: Captain Jose de Sostasa Y Ordones
due to the paternalistic attachment of the Muslims with the natives. 3. 1 Parish Priest
The Muslims had particularly controlled the exploitation of natural 4. Campania Disciplinaria (22 Officers)
resources of the province especially the agricultural products such as 5. 183 Soldiers, Engineers, Administrators, and Medical Personnel
Tobacco.
 In the process of migration and deportation of rebels in Paragua, March 04, 1872- the expeditionary force gathered to
cultural changes took place. In the process of acculturation, witness the signing of the Act of Colonization. This was done
Christianity had the better part of effecting desired changes. by:
Doctrines of Catholicism became a part of their system. *Capt./ Politico-Militar Governor: Jose Sostosa.
*Parish Priest: Ezekiel Moreno
Royal Order of January 20, 1862, Governor-General Rafael Izquierdo *Captain Engineer: Severino Sanchez
established the Gobierno Politico-Militar de Paragua. *Military Administrator: Jacinto Ruiz
*Military Physician: Ciriaco Orate
The Commission choose Puerto Princesa as the capital. Puerto Princesa
then was called Puerto Asuncion of Iguahit (Iwahig), a settlement of The signing of the Act formalized the occupation of colonization of Puerto
natives. Princesa in the name of the King of Spain. (Ocampo, 60)
  On March 24,1872, the first to be baptized was Celia
Marcelo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alberto Marcelo of Cuyo. The American Government
Fortune cast its shadow upon Puerto Princesa when the United States
April 04, 1872- first burial mass recorded was the death of Justo dela Cruz established the military government on August 14, 1898 to July 4, 1901. One
of Manila of the motives for the coming of the Americans was humanism, which was
July 05, 1872, the first wedding was held between Tranquilino Asuncion the altruistic intention to civilize, to educate, to Christianize and to train the
of Pasig and Isadora San Jose of Manila. Filipino people in democracy.
 The bigger church was constructed and inaugurated on
December 08, 1872 with Immaculate Concepcion as the The American Rule in Palawan
Patron. The first American Military Government was established in Palawan
by the appointment of Major John Brown as Lieutenant Governor.
Frenchman Alfred March wrote an impression about the inhabitants of A year later, he was succeeded by Governor William Philips.
Puerto Princesa that later on became a stereotype about the image of the Ambrosio Pablo – was the first Filipino Governor
province: of Palawan and took office in 1914.
In 1905, pursuant to the Philippine Commission Act No. 1363, the
“…the inhabitants of Puerto Princesa are deportees: almost everybody is province was reorganized to include its southern portions and renamed it into
either a convict, a murdered, a thief, etc. There are only two Spanish Palawan and Puerto Princesa was declared as its capital. As a military
merchants, a butcher and a grocer, some Chinese, and a few inhabitants of garrison, Puerto Princesa was an isolated and lonely station surrounded by a
the Islands of Calamianes who compose the surplus of the new Spanish country almost all of which was a wild jungle.
Colony.”
(Marche, 1970)  During this era, the Americans governors who took the reins
Lesson 3 of leadership introduced reforms and program to promote the
development of the province. These included the
Palawan in a Commonwealth Period construction of school all over the province, constructions of
medical health center, the promotion of agricultural
andbringing people closer to the government. American also
The Arrival of Thomasites
build ports, improved commercial shipping, laid down road
 The Thomasites are a group of 600 American teachers who travelled
networks. Other projects by the American were the Iwahig
from the United States to the newly occupied territory of the
Penal Colony and Leper Colony in Culion, Palawan.
Philippines on the transport ship USS Thomas.
Thought we might have in a wrong foot, the goal of the
 The group included 346 men and 180 women, hailing from 43
American were greater than all of us Filipinos, it was truly a
different states and 193 colleges, universities, and normal schools.
start of a greater Palawan and an independent country.
The term “Thomasites” has since expanded to include any teacher
who arrived in the first few years of the American colonial period of
the Philippines.
 The Japanese army put up advertisements promising like;
Lesson 4
Japanese Occupation in Palawan 1. good pay
2. liberal boundary benefits
3. free transportation to the provinces
Life under the Japanese Regime
4. free rations of food and allowance

World War II (1939-1945) was a grim and terrible period in history

About 125 Japanese P.C. (Philippine Constabulary) were sent to Palawan.
that shook the very core of every nation. It was a time of warfare politics and
They were immediately assigned to barrios like Abo-Abo, Panitian, Aborlan
unfortunate discoveries. It was the biggest and deadliest war in history,
in southern Palawan, Caramay and Mentes in the north to contact and to
involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of
pacify the “guerillas” who were considered hoodlums or bandits or renegades
Poland, the war dragged on six bloody years until the allies defeated Nazi
who could victimize unsuspecting civilians.
Germany and Japan in 1945.
Most of those sent in Palawan was happy to be home. These were true
The Japanese Empire attacked the Philippines because it was an
Palaweños who had no intention of continuing the war they left off in Bataan
important military target. At that time, Philippines was a territory of the
and Corregidor.
United States, acquired after the end of the Spanish American War, from
Spain. It also serve as a perfect base operations for its Imperial Navy, to
secure firm control of South-east Asia. The Guerilla Movement in
Palawan
When Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, Puerto Princesa was Guerilla is a member of an irregular military force fighting small-scale,
celebrating its town fiesta of the Immaculate Concepcion. That day, limited actions, in concept with an overall political-military strategy, against
Palaweños have no idea that the Philippines will be involved in a battle that conventional military forces. Guerrilla tactics involve constantly shifting
was not even theirs. Puerto Princesa received its baptism of fire on the New attack operations and include the use of sabotage and terrorism. (Britannica
Year’s Day of 1942 when several Japanese fighter planes bombarded dictionary) The Guerrillas member called Japanese PC’s as “Salarin”
the town with machine gun fire. “Kempetai” and “Traitors” because they were committed to the Japanese
Master. The first guerrilla movement in Palawan were first organize by
After the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, the Japanese Army in Manila Gov. Higinio Mendoza, Carlos Amores, Major Pedro Manigque, and Capt.
became aware of the thousands and stranded civilians and students who Vicente Catublas.
could not go home to their respective towns and provinces. Even military
personnel could not report to their respective stations because of the dearth of Mendoza’s men were a sprinkling of regular PCs, Bataan Veterans,
transportation facilities. Food supply and prime commodities were becoming and civilians. Their station was at Mentes, just a few kilometers north of Jap
a problem too. Thus, the question of survival became critical. Jobs were occupied Puerto Princesa.
scarce and students who depended on monthly allowances from parents were .
frantic. Where and how to get money for their immediate needs was indeed
serious. The Four Military Sectors in Palawan during the war
 1. Company A – it was assigned to Capt. Mendoza and his 1. It was no wonder then that runners without shoes and scantily clad
territory included all the areas north of Puerto Princesa up will walk in the rain bringing a message to another unit because it
to Danlig (Roxas). was urgent and for the good of all.
2. Company B – it was assigned to Lt. Felipe Batul and its 2. Soldiers will not hesitate to board a fragile sailboat even if there was
sector includes all the areas from Danlig to Taytay a typhoon if only to help another unit in distress.
including Dumaran Island and Cuyo. 3. It was heartwarming to receive a chupa of rice from an unknown
3. Company C – it was assigned to Capt. Carlos Amores and donor who may be equally hard pressed for the cereal, or to receive
his territory was the whole of northern Palawan fro Taytay badly needed medicines from somebody receiving it for his family at
including Coron, Culion and Calamian Island. some future time. This, made us a people, rediscovering its lost
4. Company D – it was under by Capt. Nazario Mayor and identity and purpose.
his areas was the whole of southern Palawan.
Lt. Baloloy – a guerrilla who agree to the proposal of the
There strategies at this stage is to: Palaweño Japanese P.C .
a. lie low,
b. gather food and supplies  Under the leadership of Marcelo Quiron and Domingo Tabang,
c. train themselves more men were recruited from Japanese P.C ranks. Twenty-seven
d. gather intelligence information. Japanese P.Cs surrendered together with 39 rifles, pistols and hand
grenades with a lot of ammunition. The guerilla encounter with the
Palawenos decided to joined the movement because that was the best thing Japanese in Caramay led to the fall of the barrio into the hands of the
to do as there was practically nothing to do at that point in time. Whatever Guerilla.
reasons forced the people to join the guerillas, one thing remained  Japanese P.C. in Aborlan under Lt. Severo Valdescona, a Palaweño
outstanding - made several attempts to surrender. Forty officers and men
a. they all wanted to serve the country that was being laid to surrendered to Capt. Nazario Mayor who received them as brothers
waste and conquered by a vicious and ruthless enemy. and no longer enemies. Valdescona’s men surrendered 24 rifles and a
b. The defense of our distraught country lies not in the hundred rounds of ammunition and revolvers.
 During World War II, Palawan divided into two parts – 1. Free
Americans who were thousands of miles away preparing a comeback but for Space and 2. The Japanese-occupied portion.
us, the unprepared islanders, wards of the United States
Gaudencio Abordo – was the Governor for the Commonwealth or the Free
The existence of the guerillas instilled the spirit of sacrifice for a bigger Space portion of the province.
and higher cause. Inigo Peña – was the governor for the Japanese-occupied
portion.

The Palawan Massacre

These are the some sacrifices that the guerrillas did during the war.
 In order to prevent the rescue of prisoners of war by the
advancement of their American allies during World War II, on
 December 14, 1944, units of the Japanese Fourteen Area Army
under the command of General Tomoyuki Yamashita have herded
the remaining 150 prisoners of war in Puerto Princesa into three
covered trenches which then set on fire using barrels of gasoline
The prisoners who tried to escape the flames shot down while
others attempted to escape by climbing over a cliff that ran along
one side of the trenches but we later on hunted down and killed.
Only 11 of these soldiers escaped from the slaughter and between
133 to 141 people were killed.

 The massacre is the basis for the recently published book Last Man
Out: Glenn McDole, USMC, Survivor of the Palawan Massacre in
World War II by Bob Wilbanks. The island was liberated from the
Japanese Imperial Forces by a task force consisting of Filipino and
American military personnel between February 28 and April 22,
1945.

 All these are far from what we see of Palawan now, a home of
beauty and culture with a dark history and a chamber of hair-
raising stories of war and colonization. Its history is a tough proof
that Palawan in not just about the natural resources, white sandy
beaches, long sandbars, blue crystalline waters, rich marine
biodiversity and abundant ecology.