Claims circulating on social media suggest that the province of Palawan belongs to China; however, the historical commission of the Philippines has refuted these, asserting that they are false and without basis.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) issued a statement on Friday denouncing the viral post on the Chinese platforms Weibo and Rednote, which claims that Palawan has been historically governed by China for a thousand years and should be reclaimed.
The post describes Palawan as “Zheng He Island,” allegedly named in honor of the renowned 14th-century Chinese explorer.
The NHCP said that historical evidence does not establish any Chinese colonization or authority over Palawan.
It highlighted archeological evidence that demonstrated human occupancy on the island for more than 50,000 years, as well as historical documents, such as those written by Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian chronicler, in 1521, which suggest that Palawan was already a part of a unique Filipino cultural and political environment.
“Palawan was populated by communities of similar cultural affinity with the rest of our archipelago. The head of the expedition had, in fact, made a blood compact with the chief of the community that the NHCP recognized to be in the present day Sitio Tagusao, Brooke’s Point, Palawan,” the Commission stated. It also dismissed the notion that past trade links to Southeast Asian sultanates could be used to legitimize territorial claims in the current day.
The NHCP pointed out that China has constantly rewritten its historical narratives, culminating in the disputed Nine-Dash Line, which was deemed unlawful by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the year 2016.
The declaration made by the National Humanitarian Council (NHCP) is in agreement with the steadfast attitude taken by the Philippine government, which is that not a single inch of the country’s sovereign territory is available for purchase or claim.
The NHCP reiterated that Palawan has consistently been a part of the Philippines and dismissed China’s efforts to alter historical facts.
“The historical fact clearly and convincingly shows that the Philippines and its predecessor state actors have always exercised sovereignty over our archipelago and over Palawan in particular,” the NHCP said.
