Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo Of all the places — Palawan is one of the most memorable. The first time I went there, my boat sank and for almost an hour — we clung to a bamboo pole in the middle of the sea to survive. Ten years have passed and yet — I couldn’t forget the faithful night in 2012. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen. Every inch of the sky was filled with fireflies and stars. As you hop from one island to the other, you’d realize — each one had a different character. And Palawan, it had more or less 1,780 islands.