The area of the Subterranean River has long aroused curiosity. Since the middle of the XIX century it attracted attention of visitors to the area. The national park was established in 26 March 1971 under Presidential Proclamation No. 835 and was managed by the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources. In 1992 the boundaries of the site were inscribed with a Presidential Proclamation under the Republic Act 7586 (NIPAS Act of 1992), and the actual management of the national park was transferred to the City Government of Puerto Princesa, which has Management Board of the national park. The territory of the park forms part of a core zone of the Palawan Island Biosphere Reserve, recognized under the UNESCO MAB Programme in 1990, and a core zone of the Ecologically Critical Area Network (ECAN), the central element of the Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan Province. It was chosen as one of the protected areas for the Debt-for-Nature Swap Program in 1989. In 1992 the St. Paul Subterranean River National Park won an award of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in the Environmental Enhancement Category. In 1993 Protected Area Management Board based in Puerto Princesa suggested to extend park's area up to 86,000 hectares (ha). Inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1999.