The name “Palawan” – most probably - was given by the Chinese as far back as the 9th Century. They called it PA-LAO-YU, or “land of beautiful safe
harbor”. Others believe it came from the Indian word “Palawans” meaning “Territory”. The popular belief is that “Palawan” is a corrupted form of the Spanish word “Para agua” because the main island’s shape resembles a closed umbrella. The limits of the Province are:
Busuanga island in the north
Agutaya group of islands northeast
Cagayancillo in the east
Balabac island in the south
Spratly - Kalayaan in the West
Did you know that Palawan is made up of 1,768 islands and is the second largest province of the Philippines (Cotabato is the largest) ? The length of the main island is 425km from tip to tip. The distance between extreme north and south of the island province is 650 km. The narrowest section of the main island is 8.5 km at Barrio Bahile in Puerto Princesa, the widest section is 40 km at Brooke's’Point in the south.
