Palawan, the country's last environmental frontier, is blessed with 1780 islands and islets most of which have irregular coastlines that make excellent harbors. Thick forests covering these steepIy sloped mountains assure adequate watersheds for rivers and streams. Palawan is surrounded by a coral shelf that abounds with varied and colorful marine life, hence the island province has been declared a nature sanctuary. The province boasts of extraordinary scenic wonders like El Nido, St. Paul Underground River, Tabon Caves and Honda Bay Islands. The history of Palawan may be traced back 22,000 years ago as confirmed by the discovery of fossils of the Tabon cave man in Quezon, Palawan. AIthough the origin of the cave dwellers is not yet established, anthropologists believe these came from Borneo travelling across the land bridge that connected Palawan with Borneo. The similarity of Palawan's flora and fauna with that of Borneo fostered this belief.