The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) on Friday released a statement, condemning the online circulation of fabricated stories, claiming that Palawan used to be part of China.
The claims, which recently spread on various social media platforms alleged that Palawan—wrongly referred to as “Zheng He Island” after a Chinese explorer—was purportedly ruled by China for a thousand years and should be returned.
The NHCP strongly refuted these baseless assertions, emphasizing the Philippines’ jurisdiction over the island. The post originated from the Rednote app, similar to TikTok. It quickly gained traction on Chinese-run social media apps and extended over the Philippine cyberspace.
“It is necessary to note that exploration does not equate to sovereign ownership. There exists no evidence to support the settlement of a permanent Chinese population in Palawan, which has been continuously populated since 50,000 years ago through archeological data,” the agency said.
From a historical perspective, the NHCP disproved unfounded claims over Palawan, citing no evidence of Chinese settlement in verified historical accounts, including those from Italian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta during the 1521 circumnavigation.
According to NHCP, Palawan was inhabited by culturally similar communities within the Philippine archipelago. Early European maps (1500s–1800s) affirmed Palawan as part of the Philippines, governed by the Sultanate of Sulu and later Spain.
The 1898 Treaty of Paris and the 1900 Treaty of Washington further solidified the Philippines’ sovereignty over the island.
The NHCP emphasized that historical trade relations with neighboring states do not imply sovereignty and criticizes China’s “Nine-Dash Line” claim, which the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration declared illegal.
The NHCP reiterated that Palawan has always been part of the Philippines and firmly asserts that its sovereignty over the territory is not negotiable.