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Staff Writer

Facts About Palawan

Do you know that the first Filipino once lived in Palawan?

Archeologists believed that the first Filipino once lived in the Tabon caves in Lipuun Point, Quezon, Palawan, 155 kilometers south of the City of Puerto Princesa. The leg bone of a man and the skull cap of a woman was discovered in the cave in 1962. Based on carbon dating, the bones are 47,000 and 16,000 years old, respectively. Thus, the caves were named as "The Cradle of Philippine Civilization".

Where did the word "Palawan" originate?

People believed that the name "Palawan" was derived from the Chinese word "Pa-Lao-Yu" meaning "The Land of Beautiful and Safe Harbor". Another version was that derived from the Spanish word "Paragua", meaning that the shape of the island is like a closed umbrella.

Where can you find the Bataks, one of the principal indigenous peoples of Palawan?

The Bataks are presently distributed in the central, eastern part of Palawan. Most of them can be found in the barangays of Babuyan, Tanabag, and the valleys of Langogan River.

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About Palawaniana.net

VISION:

A comprehensive information database about wildlife and the environment of Palawan, the Philippines' Last Frontier for general public's use.

MISSION:

A better understanding of the dynamics of ecosystems of Palawan that will enable stakeholders to manage wisely the diverse wildlife and natural endowments therein.

Goal

Research facts about Palawan on a progressive and continuing basis.

Objective

Observe, collect, compile, arrange, publish and update information, articles, pictures and videos about Palawan's wildlife, places of interest, people, indigenous culture, environmental issues, among others in view of facilitating understanding of the complex relationship between natural resource use and societal development.

This website is an environment enthusiast's voluntary attempt to personally document facts about the province of Palawan recognizing the need for such information. Particular attention is given to the creation and compilation of facts about the province's endemic wildlife, beautiful landscapes and seascapes, people and their unique way of life, tourist attractions, environmental issues, among other related concerns.

The author hopes that the information contained in this website will benefit students, researchers, tourists, photographers, and other users hungry for information about Palawan where nature is still at its splendor despite pressures of unsustainable use.

While care has been exercised in writing the articles in this website, the author welcomes feedback to help improve the quality of the materials contained herein.

Enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to Palawaniana. This site is devoted to everything about Palawan, the Philippines' Last Frontier which I grew fond of. Its verdant green forests and rich wildlife struck me with awe, one of the main reasons I decided to stay in this place as I love nature.

I took the task of compiling and writing articles about Palawan's environment including its wildlife, people, places, attractions, and other subjects of interest unique to Palawan which, I believe, are not yet fully appreciated and understood. I also provided tips on many other things which may prove handy to many such as directions that will guide tourists in enjoying Palawan's biodiversity-rich terrestrial and coastal ecosystems.

I hope visitors will find this site useful. I will appreciate comments and feedback to help improve this website.

I dedicate this to my family, friends, colleagues, students and Palaweños.

Patrick A. Regoniel, Ph D En Sci

We live to serve God and our fellow men. This makes life meaningful.

History of Project

This website was created in April 2008 to provide a venue for sharing information about the province of Palawan, known as the Philippines' Last Frontier. It intends to provide a comprehensive collection of materials about the province's wildlife, people, places and the environment in general.

The name "Palawaniana" was suggested by Ryan Fuentes, once the author's advisee and a GIS expert, to encompass information about Palawan. Hence, the main focus of articles, photos, videos, issues, among other things pertain to the main island of Palawan and the adjoining islands and islets.

This project arose mainly from the author's love for nature and the ardent desire to conserve and preserve wildlife by providing information about their status and habitat. A greater understanding of these animals which closely relates to man's survival will help maintain their populations. It is also the author's intention to use this website a a resource for students, both within and outside Palawan. And of course for anyone who would like to enjoy the uniqueness of the biota, places and people of Palawan, this project is dedicated.

The author created this website as a hobby and is basically self-funded. This website uses drag-and-drop technology, an automated system provided by webnode.com where virtually no knowledge of html is required. Palawaniana started out as a free site with the url palawaniana.webnode.com in 2008. In 2009, the url was upgraded to palawaniana.net. In 2010, a major increase in visitors exceeded the 1GB free bandwidth allocation. This required additional storage space so another upgrade was made.

Significant updates and improvement on the site was made starting October 4, 2010. A display update was made on March 5, 2011. Thus, for visitors who revisited the site, a new theme greets them.

In February 2011, Palawaniana has catered to the needs of 1,966 unique visitors from the Philippines and other countries in Asia, North America, Europe and Africa who visited the site 4,618 times and viewed 10,254 pages. An average of 164.93 visitors see the site every day.

Intended Users

There is a dearth of easily accessible information about wildlife in Palawan and facts about Palawan in general. Hence, this website was conceptualized by the author to provide information to students, educators, researchers, tourists and visitors who would like to discover the natural wonders of Palawan - the Philippines' Last Frontier.

Many of the wildlife in the wilderness of Palawan are still undiscovered as well as awesome places to visit are unfamiliar to many. This website, therefore, features articles about the wildlife of Palawan, tourist destinations, the people's way of life, and environmental issues and concerns associated with the fast growing population of Palawan and the discovery of valuable oil and mineral resources. Also featured are photographs of wildlife, interesting places of interest, landscapes and seascapes, way of life, among others.

It is the author's wish that visitors will find the materials contained herein useful in their quest for knowledge about the highly diverse wildlife and people in the province.

Tourists will find linked web resources to help them plan their visits around Palawan and enjoy their stay to the fullest. For those who would like to have a quick glimpse of the attractions in Puerto Princesa, places to visit within 30 minutes or so (with the exception of the Underground River that takes about two hours by van and boat) through the ubiquitous tricycle or a hired van are worth seeing so they can say proudly say they have been in Palawan.

The website is periodically updated as new information is gathered. If you find my website useful, you may write something in my Guestbook. I will appreciate your feedback and support to help maintain and improve this site.

Duro gid nga salamat. Damo gid nga salamat. Matamang salamat. Daghang salamat. Maraming salamat. Thank you very much.