* * * * * Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island, Republic of the Philippines Monday 2 nd December 1996 Palawan Island lies to the southwest of Manila and is bounded by the South China Sea to the west and the Sulu Sea to the east. It’s a long, skinny island being 280 miles in length and 31 miles at its widest point, possessing 1,200 miles of irregular coastline lined with rocky coves and sugar-white sandy beaches. It also harbors a vast stretch of virgin forests that carpet its chain of mountain ranges running down its spine; averaging in height at 3,500 feet to 6,843 feet above sea level. In addition it’s surrounded by 1,780, mostly uninhabited, islands and islets. National Geographic has this observation: “ Palawan is the best island destination in...