Palawan: What Makes This Island So Special?

From unique biodiversity to cultural richness – and why we chose it for our project.

Introduction

Palawan is often called the “last ecological frontier” of the Philippines – and it’s not hard to see why. With its dramatic limestone cliffs, turquoise lagoons, lush forests, and island-dotted coastlines, the province has earned a reputation as one of Southeast Asia’s most breathtaking travel destinations.

But Palawan is more than just a postcard-perfect place. It is home to unique ecosystems, endangered species, and Indigenous communities with deep knowledge of the land. As tourism rapidly grows, so does the responsibility to protect what makes this island so extraordinary.

Geography and Biodiversity

Palawan is the largest province in the Philippines by land area, stretching over 1,700 islands between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea (DENR, 2020). It serves as a biological bridge between Borneo and the rest of the Philippines, resulting in an extraordinary level of biodiversity and endemism.

The entire province was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1990 due to its ecological significance (UNESCO, 2023). Palawan’s ecosystems include mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and tropical rainforests – each hosting a wide array of species found nowhere else on Earth.

Among the most iconic endemic animals are the Palawan peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis), the Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis), and the Palawan bearcat (Arctictis binturong whitei), all of which are either endangered or vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List (IUCN, 2024).

The marine environment is just as remarkable. Palawan lies within the Coral Triangle – a region considered the global epicenter of marine biodiversity (Veron et al., 2009). Its waters support over 500 species of coral and thousands of species of reef fish, many of which are essential for local livelihoods and food security.

Culture and History: A Living Heritage

Palawan is home to several Indigenous ethnolinguistic groups, including the Tagbanua, Palaw’an, and Batak peoples. These communities have developed distinct ways of life shaped by their deep relationship with nature, which are still evident in their land-use practices, belief systems, and local governance structures (Travel Palawan, n.d.; Philippines Island Hopping, 2024).

The Tagbanua, inhabiting areas around Coron and central Palawan, maintain a worldview in which forests, rivers, and coastal areas are inhabited by ancestral spirits. Rituals and taboos still guide access to natural resources, especially in the harvesting of marine products such as the edible bird’s nest (Balinsasayaw) – a high-value delicacy collected from limestone caves (Coron Life, 2023; Satizábal et al., 2021). These practices not only represent cultural heritage, but also function as traditional ecological management.

In the south, Palaw’an communities continue to rely on swidden agriculture, hunting, and traditional medicine. Their oral traditions preserve local knowledge of plant species, weather cycles, and land stewardship (Philippines Island Hopping, 2024). Meanwhile, the Batak, one of the smallest and most vulnerable Indigenous groups in the Philippines, live in forested areas northeast of Puerto Princesa. Their livelihood includes rattan gathering, hunting, and resin collection – all activities increasingly threatened by environmental degradation and displacement (Joshua Project, n.d.).

El Nido itself holds a cultural story: the name, Spanish for “the nest,” refers to the edible nests of swiftlets found in local cliffs – an important trade item since the Spanish colonial era (Satizábal et al., 2021).

The cultural diversity of Palawan is both fragile and irreplaceable. As modern tourism expands, these communities face rising external pressures. Without conscious effort to respect and involve Indigenous voices, the risk of cultural erosion grows. Responsible tourism has the potential to support cultural preservation – if done in partnership with the people who call this island home.

The Challenges Behind the Paradise

Palawan’s global image as a tropical paradise often hides the complex and growing pressures the island is facing. Over the past decade, tourism in hotspots like El Nido and Coron has increased rapidly, putting strain on infrastructure, ecosystems, and local communities. In 2019 alone, Palawan saw over 2 million tourist arrivals – a massive number given its limited capacity for waste management, water supply, and transportation (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2020).

Mass tourism brings visible impacts: coral reef degradation from boat anchors and sunscreen chemicals, plastic waste accumulating in mangroves, and rising freshwater demand causing saltwater intrusion into aquifers (WWF Philippines, 2018). Less visible, but equally concerning, are the cultural consequences – traditional ways of life are increasingly displaced by developments that prioritize short-term gains over long-term resilience.

Many coastal and forest areas in Palawan lack comprehensive zoning or environmental enforcement, leaving them vulnerable to unsustainable land conversion, illegal logging, and habitat loss (Environmental Legal Assistance Center, 2021). Local communities, particularly Indigenous groups, are often excluded from decision-making, despite their deep knowledge of and reliance on the land.

Tourism itself is not the problem – but how it’s done matters. Without a shift toward sustainability, Palawan risks losing the very qualities that make it unique. Protecting its biodiversity and cultural diversity requires long-term thinking, community involvement, and a commitment to regeneration rather than exploitation.

As we begin developing our own project here, these challenges are not abstract. They guide our choices. From energy to water systems, building materials to guest experience – we aim to design with respect for the island, not at its expense. For us, sustainability isn’t an add-on. It’s the foundation.

Why We Chose Palawan

Choosing Palawan was not a business decision – it was an emotional one. The island's natural beauty is undeniable, but what struck us most was something deeper: the sense of balance between land and life, the quiet strength of local traditions, and the unspoken invitation to do things differently.

Palawan offers both inspiration and responsibility. Inspiration, because its ecosystems and communities have so much to teach – about resilience, cooperation, and respect. Responsibility, because we are not just visitors here. We are part of a generation that must decide whether places like this remain wild, vibrant, and culturally alive – or slowly disappear under the weight of unchecked development.

Our goal is not to build something on Palawan, but with Palawan. That means working with local materials and knowledge, involving communities in meaningful ways, and shaping experiences that celebrate what’s already here – rather than replacing it. We believe that travel can be regenerative, that beauty doesn’t require destruction, and that sustainability begins long before the first guest arrives.

This is just the beginning. But it’s the beginning we believe in.

References (Harvard Style)

• BirdLife International (2018). Polyplectron napoleonis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018:

• Coral Triangle Initiative (n.d.). About the Coral Triangle.

• Coron Life (2023). The Tagbanwa Tribe: Guardians of Ancestral Heritage in Palawan.

• Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) (2020). Palawan Sustainable Development Framework.

• Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC) (2021). Policy Gaps and Environmental Threats in Palawan.

• Island Biosphere (n.d.). Palawan (Philippines).

• IUCN (2024). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

• Joshua Project (n.d.). Negrito, Palawan Batak in Philippines – People Group Profile.

• PhilAtlas (2020). Palawan Profile.

• Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) (2020). Tourism Statistics 2019 – MIMAROPA Region.

• Philippines Island Hopping (2024). Palawan’s Indigenous People.

• Satizábal, P., Dressler, W.H., Guieb, E.R., Varquez, J.G. and Fabinyi, M. (2021). Seascape shadows: Life in the ruins of the edible bird’s nest harvest in northern Palawan, the Philippines. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 4(3), pp.1026–1048. DOI: 10.1177/2514848620968497.

• Schoppe, S. (2019). Manis culionensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019

• Travel Palawan (n.d.). Palawan's Indigenous People’s Cultural Heritage.

• UNESCO (2023). Palawan Biosphere Reserve.

• Veron, J.E.N. et al. (2009). The Coral Triangle. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58(10), pp.1421–1429.

• Veron, J.E.N., Devantier, L.M., Turak, E., Green, A.L., Kininmonth, S., Stafford-Smith, M. and Peterson, N. (2009). Delineating the Coral Triangle. Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies, 11(2), pp.91–100.

• WWF Philippines (2018). El Nido Environmental Profile and Tourism Impacts.