Brooke's Point برواوكءس ڤوينت | |
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| Municipality of Brooke's Point | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Map of Palawan with Brooke's Point highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
.svg)  Brooke's Point Location within thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:8°47′N117°50′E / 8.78°N 117.83°E /8.78; 117.83 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Mimaropa |
| Province | Palawan |
| District | 2nd district |
| Founded | June 28, 1949 |
| Named after | James Brooke |
| Barangays | 18 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Cesareo R. Benedito Jr. |
| • Vice Mayor | Mary Jean D. Feliciano |
| • Representative | Jose Ch. Alvarez |
| • Municipal Council | Members
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| • Electorate | 51,184 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,303.40 km2 (503.25 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 9.0 m (29.5 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 302 m (991 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 76,715 |
| • Density | 58.858/km2 (152.44/sq mi) |
| • Households | 18,478 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 1st municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 15.71 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 676.2 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 1,702 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 484.5 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 466 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 5305 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)48 |
| Native languages | Molbog Palawano Taaw't Bato Tagalog |
| Website | http://brookespointpalawan.gov.ph/ |
Brooke's Point, officially theMunicipality of Brooke's Point (Tagalog:Bayan ng Brooke's Point), is amunicipality in theprovince ofPalawan,Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 76,715 people.[5]
Before it was named Brooke's Point, it was named Bonbon, which means 'locality' in thePalawano language.[6]
Brooke's Point is named after British soldierJames Brooke, described as "the firstwhite Rajah" ofSarawak and founder of theBrooke dynasty. It is believed that during one of his voyages, he landed on the tip of an island with a long narrow stretch of land inhabited by Palaweños and Muslims under theSultanate of Sulu. During American rule, American scouts named the place Brooke's Point.
The name has now come under critical review, with some branding the naming of the municipality as "white worship" and the persistence ofcolonial mentality amidst Filipino sovereignty. Municipal officials have also demanded that the original name of the municipality,Bonbon (sometimes written asBon-Bon), be restored.
The supposed founder and organizer of the early settlers was Deputy Military GovernorEdward Alexander Miller, who eventually became the Military Governor of Palawan. Fort Miller was an old building located in this town named after him. The first recorded Municipal President of Brooke's Point was Datu Pula.[6]
ThePearl of Lao Tzu, formerly considered the world's largest pearl, was found in its waters on May 7, 1934.
At the outbreak of the war, local forces were organized. In 1943, theImperial Japanese Army arrived and garrisoned the Central School building.Guerrilla forces began forming and within the same year, after conducting intelligence operations in the town, attacked the Japanese forces and caused their withdrawal to their launch, which were then sunk by guerrilla forces. Brooke's Point had been liberated. However, Japanese planes began bombing Brooke's Point until the duration of the war.[6]
On June 28, 1949, the Brooke's Point, formerly a municipal district, became a municipality by virtue of Executive Order No. 232 by then-PresidentElpidio Quirino.[7][8]
The pioneer families who settled in Brooke's Point are the Villapa, Rodriguez, Setias, Valencia, Aspiras, Arzaga, and Edwards families.
In 1967, Datu Jolkiple Narrazid (Datu Zulkifli II), uncle of Mayor Sapiodin Narrazid was elected as the second mayor of the municipality. His administration's programs focused on implementing extensive socio-economic programs. Education also received priority attention during his tenure.
Brooke's Point is situated in the south-eastern section of Palawan Island, 190 kilometres (120 mi) fromPuerto Princesa. It has a total land area of 85,064.90 hectares (210,199.9 acres) stretching about 20 kilometers (12 mi) along the length of Palawan. Brooke's Point is bounded by Sofronio Española in the north, Bataraza in the south, Rizal in the west, and theSulu Sea in the east. The municipalities ofBataraza,[9]Sofronio Española,[10] and parts ofRizal andQuezon were once a part of Brooke's Point.[11][12]
Brooke's Point is subdivided into 18barangays. Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.[13]
Currently, there are 2 barangays which classified as urban (highlighted inbold).
Samariñana was separated from Tanionbog in 1954.
| Climate data for Brooke's Point | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (76) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 64 (2.5) | 55 (2.2) | 90 (3.5) | 93 (3.7) | 169 (6.7) | 215 (8.5) | 206 (8.1) | 181 (7.1) | 190 (7.5) | 219 (8.6) | 182 (7.2) | 115 (4.5) | 1,779 (70.1) |
| Average rainy days | 13.1 | 11.5 | 17.3 | 19.4 | 26.8 | 26.8 | 27.8 | 26.9 | 27.1 | 28.3 | 25.4 | 20.1 | 270.5 |
| Source: Meteoblue[15] | |||||||||||||
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| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[16][17][18][19][20] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the 2020 census, the population of Brooke's Point was 73,994 people,[21] with a density of 56.8 inhabitants per square kilometer or 147 inhabitants per square mile.
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The municipality is predominantlyChristian, with a sizableMuslim population. The local Muslim population is mostly nativePalawano andMolbog peoples, there are alsoMaranao people who immigrated since the 1970s due toconflict with the government, as well as local converts known asBalik Islam ('reverts to Islam').[22]
In 2024, the population in this municipality was predominantlyChristianity (86.5%), thenIslam (11.9%), and others (1.6%). Muslims are mostly spread along the coast and in native villages, while Christians are more evenly distributed throughout the area, besides tribal religious who mainly live in the interior and highlands.
Most residents areCatholics. Other Christian denominations includeMembers Church of God International,Iglesia ni Cristo,Jehovah's Witnesses,the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and others.
The Catholic Church is located north of the town center while the Evangelical Christian Churches are the Gospel Hall, located north of the town center, the Iglesia ni Cristo, south of the municipal hall, the Church of Christ International's building is located in Old Camp while the LDS Church chapel is in Edward's Subdivision.
Poverty incidence of Brooke's Point
Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]
Brooke's Point is one of Palawan's main economic centers outside Puerto Princesa, along with Narra, Coron and Cuyo. The town is home to several banks including the Land Bank and Rural Bank of Brooke's Point. Money transfer companies such as Western Union and MoneyGram also have branches in the town. There are several pawnshops like M Lhullier,Cebuana Lhuillier, among others. The town also has a Mercury Drug and a Generic Pharmacy.
Commercial Enterprises are thriving. There are many medium-sized stores, located mostly in the town proper. The service sector is also growing with the rise of many commercial establishments. The town's economy is based primarily on agriculture. The town produces great quantities of rice, copra and corn. The palm oil industry is headquartered in Barangay Mainit in the south. Unlike most of Palawan's towns, Brooke's Point does not have white and pristine beaches that draw local and foreign tourists. But because of abundant freshwater resources, the town is one of the most productive in the province in terms of agriculture. Many fruits and vegetables grow in abundance.
In addition, the town is also one of the Philippines' gateways to Southeast Asia. Its proximity to Sabah is a strategic advantage, but the lack of infrastructure and an inter-governmental agreement between Malaysia and the Philippines hinders the town from being a trading hub. There is minimal trade with Malaysia through many of the town's Muslim and Christian residents who have relatives in Sabah. The town is supposed to become an international port with cargo services toSabah andBrunei.[31]
Brooke's Point has a modern seaport that serves many cargo ships from Manila, Mindanao, the Visayas and other parts of Luzon. The port also caters to numerous fishing vessels. Commercial vessels from Malaysia,Indonesia and other countries also make frequent stops in the port. The port also serves as a docking point for vessels containing commercial goods from Manila and abroad, and also mining-related materials toRio Tuba. The port of Brooke's Point is considered as one of the most profitable ports in the southern Philippines.
The El Nido-Bataraza highway connects the town to other mainland towns and municipalities. Transportation between Puerto Princesa and Brooke's Point is through commercial vans, buses or jeepneys. There is also a private airport located at Lada. Transportation throughout the town is through tricycle and multi-cabs.Kuliglig, a machine also used for agriculture, is widely used as a means of transportation in rural areas.
Health facilities in the municipality include Southern Palawan Provincial Hospital (a 25-bed capacity secondary government hospital), a Rural Health Unit (RHU), Barangay Health Stations (BHS), and private clinics and hospitals. Dental and optical clinics, laboratories, and drugstores are also present and serve not only Brooke's Point, but also neighboring municipalities.
Currently, there are three private hospitals.
There are three schools district offices which govern all educational institutions within the municipality. They oversee the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.[32] These are the:
There are 9 secondary schools in Brooke's Point. Brooke's Point Christian High School, a Christian-run institution, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus High School administered by the Augustinians are located in the town center. Public secondary schools include the Brooke's Point National High School, Governor Abueg Memorial and Vocational High school, and more. There are also at least 40 public elementary schools.
Brooke's Point is home to three radio stations, allbroadcasting on FM: 104.5 Radyo Natin Brooke's Point, 103.7 Brigada News FM Brooke's Point, and 89.5 Radyo Bandera News FM Brooke's Point.GMA Network'sDYAA-TV is also based in Brooke's Point. The town is also a telecommunications hub for several companies such asSmart andGlobe networks. Internet cafes are becoming increasingly popular, while the percentage of personal computer ownership is also rising.
Many parts of the town's forests are cleared to give way for agriculture. Slash and burn agriculture is a common practice in the town's interior. Burning of garbage and waste are common, as isillegal fishing.Illegal logging is done on a small basis, but it has a substantial impact on the town's forest cover. Small-scale illegalpet trade also exists. Mynahs, parrots and pangolins, as well as many animals found only in Palawan, are poached and traded to other parts of the country and abroad. Although the practice is increasingly common, many of these activities are not known to authorities.
In recent years, the local government along with the National government has enacted several policies and programs to protect the environment. But apathy and corruption hinder government efforts to implement these policies and programs.
A long-running dispute exists over the establishment of a nickel mine within what is now theMount Mantalingahan Protected Landscape.[33]And within the Tribal zone and ancestral domains of the Palawan (Pala’wan) Indigenous Peoples.
Places adjacent to Brooke's Point | ||||||||||||||||
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 Province ofPalawan | |
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Puerto Princesa (capital and largest city) | |
| Municipalities | |
| Highly urbanized city |
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