2. PRE-HISTORY
• The early history of Palawan was determined by a team of researchers led
by Robert Bradford 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.
3. EARLY HISTORY
• Palawan is home to several indigenous groups. The oldest inhabitants are
the Palaw'an, Batak, Tagbanwa, and Tau't Bato who are from the interiors and
highlands of Palawan, as well as the Calamianes Islands. They traditionally practice
animist anito religions. Palawan's coastlines were also settled by later groups that are
now collectively known as "Palaweños". Prior to Islamization, the islands of Palawan,
Calamian, and parts of Luzon were under the jurisdiction of the nation Sandao (In
Chinese records at the 1200s). Sandao was a vassal-state to the more powerful Ma-
i nation in Mindoro. Thereafter, groups like the Islamized Molbog people of southern
Palawan (possibly originally from Sabah), and the Cuyonon and Agutaynon groups
(from the nearby islands of Cuyo and Agutaya settled in.
4. • Palawan was mentioned as "Pulaoan" or "Polaoan" by Antonio Pigafetta in 1521
during Magellan's expedition. They called it la terra de missione ("the land of
promise") due to the fact that they were almost starving by the time they reached the
island. The local datu made peace with the expedition through a blood compact. The
ships' crews were welcomed to the island with rice cooked in bamboo tubes, rice
wine, bananas, pigs, goats, chickens, coconuts, sugarcane, and other supplies.
Pigafetta described the inhabitants as being farmers. Their primary weapons
were blowguns with iron tips that could both 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 cockfighting.
5. SPANISH COLONIAL ERA
• The northern Calamianes Islands were the first to come under Spanish authority, and were later
declared a province separate from the Palawan mainland. In the early 17th century, Spanish friars sent
out missions in Cuyo, Agutaya, Taytay and Cagayancillo but they met resistance
from Moro communities. Before the 18th century, Colonial Authorities began to build churches
enclosed by garrisons for protection against Moro raids in the towns of Cuyo,
Taytay, Linapacan and Balabac. In 1749, the Sultanate of Brunei ceded southern Palawan to Spain.
• In 1818, the entire island of Palawan, or Paragua as it was called, was organized as a single province
named Calamianes, with its capital in Taytay. By 1858, the province was divided into two provinces,
namely, Castilla, covering the northern section with Taytay as capital and Asturias in the southern
mainland with Puerto Princesa as capital. It was later divided into three
districts, Calamianes, Paragua and Balabac, with Principe Alfonso town as its capital. During the
Spanish colonial period, Cuyo became the second capital of Palawan from 1873 to 1903.
6. AMERICAN PRESENCE ERA
• In 1902, after the Philippine–American War, the United States established civil
rule in northern Palawan, calling it the province of Paragua. In 1903, pursuant to
Philippine Commission Act No. 1363, the province was reorganized to include the
southern portions and renamed Palawan, and Puerto Princesa declared as its
capital.
• Many reforms and projects were later introduced in the province. Construction of
school buildings, promotion of agriculture, and bringing people closer to the
government were among the priority plans during this era.
7. JAPANESE INVASION ERA
• After the Japanese invasion, according to Stephen L. Moore, "Pro-Allied sentiment was strong, and it was
later estimated that during the war as many as 1,154 Filipino guerrillas worked against the Japanese on
the island. Those in the underground network would proudly refer to themselves as 'Palawan's Fighting
One Thousand'." Early resistance leaders included Dr. Higinio Acosta Mendoza, his wife Triny, Thomas F.
Loudon, and his son-in-law Nazario Mayor. Capt. Mayor organized Company D in October 1943, and was
responsible for the area encompassing Puerto Princesa south to Balabac Island. Capt. Mendoza covered
the area north of Puerto Princesa to Caramay. Lt. Felipe Batul operated out of Danlig, while Capt. Carlos
Amores operated out of Sibaltan. Overall command of the Palawan Special Battalion was under Major
Pablo P. Muyco as part of the 6th Military District. The Palawan guerrillas helped any escaping American
POWs, supported two coastwatcher groups sending regular radio broadcasts to General MacArthur on
Japanese movements, and helped rescue downed airmen as well as survivors from the
submarine USS Flier. Most importantly, they helped guide the 8th Army's troop landings.
8. PALAWAN MASSACRE
• During World War II, in order to prevent the rescue of prisoners of war by the
advancing allies, on December 14, 1944, units of the Japanese Fourteenth Area
Army (under the command of General Tomoyuki Yamashita) herded the
remaining 150 prisoners of war at Puerto Princesa into three covered trenches
which were then set on fire using barrels of gasoline. Prisoners who tried to
escape the flames were shot down. Only 11 men escaped the slaughter.
9. LIBERATION
• During the first phase of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, just off the coast of Palawan,
two United States Navy submarines, USS Dace and USS Darter attacked a
Japanese cruiser task force led by Admiral Takeo Kurita, sinking his flagship (in
which he survived) Atago, and her sister ship Maya. Darter later ran aground that
afternoon and was scuttled by USS Nautilus (SS-168).
• The island was liberated from the Japanese Imperial Forces from February 28 to
April 22, 1945, during the Invasion of Palawan.
11. MARTIAL LAW ERA
• Like the other parts of the Philippines, Palawan felt the impact when Ferdinand
Marcos placed the whole country under martial law in September 1972, and then held
on to power for 14 more years, until he was ousted by the 1986 EDSA People Power
revolution.
• One incident was when Marcos evicted an estimated 254 families of
indigenous Tagbanwa people from the Calauit Island in order to create a game
reserve full of animals imported from Africa.[31][32]
• In another incident, residents of Bugsuk Island were driven from their homes and
communities so that Marcos crony Eduardo Cojuangco could establish a coconut
plantation.
12. Among the leaders who helped organize the effort to prevent the eviction of the Bugsuk Island
residents was United Methodist Reverend Magnifico Osorio. When the effort failed, Reverend
Osorio relocated to Bataraza, a town on the southernmost tip of Palawan Island, where he
continued to fight for the rights of the indigenous peoples of Palawan. In March 1985 he
successfully facilitated a meeting between indigenous peoples and the provincial governor, who
promised to respect indigenous rights as long as he was governor. A few weeks later, however,
Reverend Osorio was found dead out in his ricefields, having been clubbed in the head and
shot dead. For his work to protect the indigenous peoples of Palawan, and for the
circumstances of his death, Reverend Osorio was honored by having his name inscribed on the
Wall of Remembrance at the Philippines' Bantayog ng mga Bayani, which honors the martyrs
and heroes who fought the abuses of the Marcos dictatorship.
14. ABORLAN
• Aborlan, officially the Municipality of Aborlan (Tagalog: Bayan ng Aborlan), is a 1st
class municipality in the province of Palawan , Philippines. According to the 2020
census, it has a population of 38,736 people.
• It lies in a vast plain between the Sulu Sea and the mountains, 69 kilometres (43 mi)
south of Puerto Princesa City.
• Aborlan became a municipality on June 28, 1949, by Executive Order No. 232. In
1951, the municipality lost the barrios of Berong and Alfonso XII when those were
transferred to the newly created town of Quezon.
• Aborlan is the province's only town with an agricultural college, now called Western
Philippines University. It was founded in 1910.
15. AGUTAYA
• Agutaya, officially the Municipality of Agutaya (Tagalog: Bayan ng Agutaya), is
a 5th class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the
2020 census, it has a population of 12,867 people.
• An island municipality, it is the eastern part of the Cuyo Archipelago in the Sulu
Sea, and the municipality covers several islands, including its namesake Agutaya
Island, which is the second largest island of the Cuyo archipelago, as well as Diit,
Halog, Maracanao, Matarawis (also spelled Matarabis), Eke,
and Quiniluban islands.
16. ARACELI
• Araceli, officially the Municipality of Araceli (Tagalog: Bayan ng Araceli), is a
4th class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the
2020 census, it has a population of 14,434 people.[3]
• The municipality covers roughly the northern half of Dumaran Island. Cuyonon is
the principal language of the area.
• Araceli was formerly part of Dumaran Municipality, but was made into a separate
municipality in 1961
17. BALABAC
• Balabac, officially the Municipality of Balabac (Tagalog: Bayan ng Balabac), is
a 2nd class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the
2020 census, it has a population of 42,527 people.
• Balabac was converted from a municipal district to a full municipality in 1957.
Before that, it was a barrio of neighboring Bataraza.
• Not considering the disputed Spratly Islands, the municipality is the westernmost
point in the Philippines. It is separated from Sabah by the Balabac Strait.
18. BATARAZA
• Bataraza, officially the Municipality of Bataraza (Tagalog: Bayan ng Bataraza),
is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to
the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,439 people.
• The town was named after Datu Bataraza Narrazid who served as the father of
the town. He was a locally influential Muslim chieftain and father of the town's first
mayor and former mayor of Brooke's Point, then Datu Sapiodin Narrazid.
• Bataraza was part of the municipality of Brooke's Point until 1964 by the virtue of
Philippine RA 3425.
19. BROOKE'S POINT
• Brooke's Point, officially the Municipality of Brooke's Point (Tagalog: Bayan
ng Brooke's Point), is a 1st class municipality in
the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a
population of 73,994 people.
• The Pearl of Lao Tzu or the Pearl of Allah, formerly considered the world's largest
pearl, was found in its waters on May 7, 1934.
• It is named after Sir James Brooke. The name has now come under critical
review, with some branding the naming of the municipality as "white worship" and
the persistence of colonial mentality amidst Filipino sovereignty. Municipal
officials have also demanded that the original name of the
municipality, Bonbon (sometimes written as Bon-Bon), be restored.
20. BUSUANGA
• Busuanga, officially the Municipality of Busuanga (Tagalog: Bayan ng Busuanga), is a 3rd
class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. Acc
• Oral tradition has it, that the entire island of Busuanga was once the realm of a Cuyonon datu
named Datu Macanas. The island was once part of the four jurisdictions of Cuyonon datus with
the other three being Datu Magbanua who reigned over Cuyo archipelago, Datu Cabaylo who
had Taytay and surrounding islands and Datu Cabangon reigning over south of Taytay.
• The town of Busuanga was created from the barrios of Concepcion, Salvacion, Busuanga, New
Busuanga, Buluang, Quezon, Calawit, and Cheey of the town of Coron in 1950.
• ording to the 2020 census, it has a population of 25,617 people.
21. CAGAYANCILLO
• Cagayancillo, officially the Municipality of Cagayancillo (Tagalog: Bayan ng Cagayancillo), is
a 6th class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it
has a population of 6,884 people.
• Located between the islands of Palawan and Negros in the Sulu Sea, Cagayancillo is the
closest settlement to the Tubbataha National Marine Park. The word Cagayancillo is Spanish
meaning "Little Cagayan".
• The island was known to the first Spanish settlers in the Archipelago simply as Cagayan. They
describe this territory as "two low islets about fifteen leagues from the island of Panay". They
ruled these islets from the town of Arevalo in Iloilo by sailing south-southeast from this part
of Panay, to the open sea. The islands are surrounded by many low reefs. But the Spaniards
were able to discover their narrow entry, avoiding potential shipping hazards.
22. CORON
• Coron, officially the Municipality of Coron (Tagalog: Bayan ng Coron), is a 1st class municipality in
the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 65,855 people.[3]
• The main population center of the municipality is composed of Poblacion barangays 1 to 6, where the Municipal
Building, the Municipal Legislative Building, and the Judicial Hall of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court are located. Its
fiesta is held annually on August 28 in honor of Saint Augustine. It is the commercial capital of the Calamian Islands.
• The municipality is home to the Coron Island Natural Biotic Area, which is listed in the natural category of
the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.
• The Calamianes Islands were originally inhabited by the Tagbanuas, Calmiananen, and Cuyonon tribes.
• Oral history tells that the Datu Macanas ruled the entire Busuanga Island where present-day Coron town lies. Early
on Spanish exploration of the islands, Fray de la Concepcion took note of the friendliness of the people of Busuanga
Island and the ferocity of the Tagbanua tribe living in Coron Island.
23. CULION
• Culion, officially the Municipality of Culion (Tagalog: Bayan ng Culion), is a 3rd class municipality in
the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 23,213 people.
• Culion consists primarily of Culion Island as well as 41 minor surrounding islands, as part of the Calamian group of
islands.[5]
• It was a former leprosarium, starting in 1906 under the American colonial regime until the American commonwealth of the
Philippines era. Although leprosy on the island-town was abolished in the 1980s, it was only in 2006 when it was declared
a leprosy-free area by the World Health Organization. The municipality was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 7193 on
February 19, 1992. In May 2017, the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO began its initiative to prepare the
dossier of Culion's leprosy documentary heritage, which will be nominated in the future in the UNESCO Memory of the
World Programme. In May 2018, the Culion Museum and Archives was officially nominated by the Philippines in
the UNESCO Memory of the World Register – Asia and the Pacific.[10] On June 18, 2018, Culion Leprosy Archives was
officially inscribed to the Memory of the World Register – Asia and the Pacific. The government and the Asia-Pacific bloc
aims to nominate the archives further to the International Memory of the World Register. If approved by UNESCO, it will
be the fifth internationally recognized documentary heritage of the Philippines, increasing Culion town's feasibility to
become a World Heritage Site in the future.
24. CUYO
• Cuyo, officially the Municipality of Cuyo (Cuyonon: Banwa 'ang Cuyo, Tagalog: Bayan ng Cuyo), is a 4th
class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 23,489
people.
• Its territory includes the western half of Cuyo Island, as well as Bisucay, Caponayan, Cauayan, Imalaguan,
Lubid, Manamoc, Pamalican, Pandan, Round, and Quiminatin islands, all part of the Cuyo Archipelago.
• Cuyo is the oldest town in Palawan which has a culture of its own and was preserved for more than 350 years. During the
Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Cuyo became the second capital of Palawan after Puerto Princesa from 1873 to
1903.
• From the sea, Cuyo Island's first visible landmark is a lighthouse by the pier. Many of the streets leading to the town have
already been cemented but the town has preserved the Hispanic plaza-iglesia structures. Dominating the town centre is
Cuyo's 1860 church, convent, and fort built by the Spanish and finished in 1680. Nearby stands a schoolhouse, and a
monument of national hero Jose Rizal.
• The municipality is served by Cuyo Airport in the neighboring municipality of Magsaysay. The town and its cultural and
natural environs are being considered to be nominated in the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Site declaration in
the future.
25. DUMARAN
• Dumaran, officially the Municipality of Dumaran (Tagalog: Bayan ng Dumaran), is a
3rd class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020
census, it has a population of 23,528 people.[3]
• The municipality covers the southern part of the namesake Dumaran Island (where
the poblacion is located), as well as a portion on Palawan Island. It is bounded on the
north-east by Municipality of Araceli, on the south by Sulu Sea, on the south-west
by Roxas, and on the north-west by the municipality of Taytay. Dumaran also
celebrate the Kalabukay Festival - Kalabukay refers to a local bird that is common to
the people of Dumaran. The Municipality of Dumaran is in rich with natural resources.
The majority of the people living in Dumaran are farmers and fishermen.
26. EL NIDO
• El Nido, officially the Municipality of El Nido (Cuyonon: Banwa i'ang El Nido, Tagalog: Bayan ng El
Nido), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census,
it has a population of 50,494 people. It is about 420 kilometres (260 mi) south-west of Manila, and about
238 kilometres (148 mi) north-east of Puerto Princesa, capital of Palawan.[A managed resource
protected area, it is known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs, and limestone cliffs, as well as for
being the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago.
• The main industries of El Nido are fishing, agriculture and tourism, being a popular diving location.
Edible nest-gathering[32] is also an economic activity, although it is
seasonal. Coconut, palay, cashew, banana, and mango are its major products.[As a tourist destination,
El Nido has been included in Condé Nast Traveler's list of "20 Most Beautiful Beaches in the
World,"and CNNgo has called it the best beach and island destination in the Philippinesfor its
"extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem."[36]
27. KALAYAAN
• Kalayaan, officially the Municipality of Kalayaan (Tagalog: Bayan ng Kalayaan), is a 5th class municipality in the South
China Sea under the jurisdiction of the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population
of 193 people making it the least populated town in the Philippines.
• Part of the Spratly Islands, situated within the South China Sea, the Kalayaan municipality, which includes Thitu
Island (locally known as Pag-asa, the administrative center of Kalayaan Island Group) is 280 nautical miles north-west
of Puerto Princesa and 932 kilometres (579 mi) south-west of Metro Manila. It consists of a single barangay located on
Pag-asa Island, which also serves as the seat of the municipal government. Besides Thitu Island, the municipality
comprises six other islands: West York Island, Northeast Cay, Nanshan Island, Loaita Island, Flat Island (South China
Sea) and Lankiam Cay (respectively locally named Likas, Parola, Lawak, Kota, Patag and Panata), and three shoals or
reefs: Irving Reef (Balagtas Reef), Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal) and Commodore Reef (Rizal Reef).It is the least
populated municipality in the Philippines. Kalayaan's annual budget is 47 million pesos (about $1.1 million).
• Kalayaan municipality has an airstrip, a naval port, a five-bed lying-in clinic, a police station, a coast guard station, a marine
research station, and a small integrated elementary and high school.
• Formerly an exclusively military installation, Pag-asa Island was opened to civilian settlement in 2002Kalayaan has the
highest poverty incidence and is one of the poorest municipalities in the Philippines.
28. LINAPACAN
• Linapacan, officially the Municipality of Linapacan (Tagalog: Bayan ng
Linapacan), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines.
According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 16,424 people.[4]
29. MAGSAYSAY
• Magsaysay, officially the Municipality of Magsaysay (Tagalog: Bayan ng
Magsaysay), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines.
According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 12,603 people.[3]
• It is the easternmost of the three municipalities of the Cuyo Archipelago, and its
territory includes the eastern half of Cuyo Island, as well as Alcoba, Canipo,
Cocoro, Patunga, Paya, Putic, Siparay, Tacbubuc, and Tagauanian islands.
• Lucbuan remained a part of Cuyo until 1963 when it became a separate
municipality renamed as Magsaysay.
30. NARRA
• Narra, officially the Municipality of Narra (Tagalog: Bayan ng Narra), is a 1st class municipality in
the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 77,948 people.[3]
• Besides spelling out the local name for the Pterocarpus indicus—the Philippines' national tree—it is an
acronym for National Resettlement Rehabilitation Administration. This program, established on June 18, 1954,
resettled landless people from Luzon to Palawan. On June 21, 1969, the Municipality of Narra was created by
virtue of Republic Act No. 5642 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos.[5]
• Having a title as "The Rice Granary of Palawan" Municipality of Narra is the main rice producer of the Province
of Palawan. The municipality also held "Palay Festival" (Formerly called as "Anihan(Reaping) Festival") held
every middle or end week of the October.
• Narra also includes Rasa Island, home of the endangered endemic cockatoo species called "Katala or Abukay
or Kalangay (depends on local dialect)" or Philippine red-vented cockatoo (cacatua haematuropygia) and
other rare animal species.
31. PUERTO PRINCESA
• Puerto Princesa, officially the City of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon: Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa; Filipino: Lungsod ng Puerto
Princesa), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a
population of 307,079 people.
• It is a city located in the western Philippine province of Palawan and is the westernmost city in the Philippines. Though the seat of
government and capital for the province, the city itself is one of 38 independent cities within the Philippines not controlled by the
province in which it is geographically located and is therefore an independent area located within Palawan.
• Today, Puerto Princesa is a tourist city with many beach resorts and seafood restaurants. It has been acclaimed several times as
the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines.
• The name Puerto Princesa have several origins. It is said to have been attributed by locals to a princess-like maiden who roam the
place at certain nights of the year, while other accounts attributed its geographical advantage as a seaport which is a naturally
protected area due to its surrounding mountains, and is characterized by a depth able to accommodate any size of shipping
vessel.
• Historically, this place was originally named Port Asuncion after Princess Asuncion, one of the princesses born to Isabella II of
Spain and her consort, Francis, Duke of Cádiz. When the princess suffered an untimely death, the Queen changed the name to
Puerto de la Princesa. Eventually, the name was shortened to Puerto Princesa.
32. QUEZON
• Quezon, named by the late President Manuel L. Quezon and officially named
the Municipality of Quezon (Tagalog: Bayan ng Quezon), is a first-
class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020
census, it has a population of 65,283 people.
• In the past, the municipality was named Tabon, but now it is a barangay of
Quezon that discovered and found the Manunggul Jar. The old municipality
(Tabon) was popular and derived from the name of the Tabon bird.
• It is home to the Tabon Caves, where the remains of the Tabon Man were
discovered.
33. RIZAL
• Rizal, officially the Municipality of Jose P. Rizal, (Tagalog: Bayan ng Rizal), is a
1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the
2020 census, it has a population of 56,162 people.
• Prior to its formation as a separate municipality, the place was known as
Tarumpitao Point and was part of the Municipality of Quezon. By virtue of Batas
Pambansa Blg. 386, it was formed as a municipality on April 14, 1983,
called Marcos. It was renamed after José Rizal in 1987 through Republic Act No.
6652.
34. ROXAS
• Roxas, officially the Municipality of Roxas (Tagalog: Bayan ng Roxas), is a 1st
class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020
census, it has a population of 69,624 people.[3]
• Roxas was created under Republic Act No. 615 in 1951 from the barrios of
Tinitian, Caramay, Rizal, Del Pilar, Malcampo, Tumarbong, Taradungan, Ilian, and
Capayas of Puerto Princesa
• Roxas is located on the eastern coast of the island. Facing Sulu Sea.
35. SAN VICENTE
• San Vicente, officially the Municipality of San Vicente (Tagalog: Bayan ng San
Vicente), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According
to the 2020 census, it has a population of 33,507 people.
• San Vicente's 14.7 kilometres (9.1 mi) of beachfront, popularly called the Long Beach,
is being converted into an emerging tourist destination that will be the beneficiary of
government spending on infrastructure.The Long Beach have two rocky cliffs
interrupting the continuous expanse of approximately 14.7 kilometers of sugary white
sand beach dividing it into three coves. It is the longest white sand beach in the
Philippines and is the First Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone of the Tourism
Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).[7] The Long Beach spans to the
coastline of four barangays namely Poblacion, New Agutaya, San Isidro and
Alimanguan.
36. SOFRONIO ESPAÑOLA
• Sofronio Española, officially the Municipality of Sofronio
Española (Tagalog: Bayan ng Sofronio Española), is a 2nd class municipality in
the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a
population of 37,416 people.[3]
• It is the province's newest municipality, officially established on June 5, 1995, and
Iber Chou became the first Municipality Mayor., when Republic Act No. 7679
partitioned the town from Brooke's Point.[5] It was named after
former Representative Sofronio Española.[
37. SOFRONIO ESPAÑOLA (HISTORY)
• The creation of the Municipality of Sofronio Española took nearly three decades. Resolution No. 120 dated December 12,
1988 of the Sangguniang Bayan of Brooke’s Point proposed the separation of its northern barangays, namely, Abo-Abo,
Isumbo, Panitian, Labog, Punang, Iraray, Pulot Shore, Pulot Center and Pulot Interior, into a new municipality. The proposed
municipality is to be called Sofronio Española in honor of the late Congressman Sofronio Española of the then lone district of
Palawan. Barangay Resolution dated April 16, 1990 of Barangay Pulot reinforced this move requesting Hon. Ramon V. Mitra,
Jr., then Speaker of the House of Representatives, to facilitate the creation of the new municipality.
• On July 9, 1992, Hon. Alfredo E. Abueg, Jr., then congressman of the Second District of Palawan, filed House Bill No. 60, an
Act Creating the Municipality of Sofronio Española in the Province of Palawan. To expedite the approval of this bill, Board
Member Cipriano Barroma sponsored Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 120 on April 16, 1993.
• The House of Representatives approved Republic Act 7679, the law creating the Municipality of Sofronio Española in the
Province of Palawan on August 3, 1993, and by the Senate on November 25, 1993. Finally, the law creating Sofronio
Española was lapsed into law.
• Section 1 of RA 7679 states that Barangays Pulot Center, Pulot Shore (Pulot I), Pulot Interior (Pulot II), Iraray, Punang,
Labog, Panitian, Isumbo and Abo-Abo are to be separated from the Municipality of Brooke’s Point and constituted into a
distinct and independent municipality of the province to be known as the Municipality of Sofronio Española. The seat of
government shall be in Barangay Pulot Center.
38. TAYTAY
Taytay, officially the Municipality of Taytay (Tagalog: Bayan ng Taytay) is a 1st
class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020
census, it has a population of 83,357 people.
Since 2002, its Cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker is the episcopal see of the pre-
diocesan missionary Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay.
