The Mining Capital of the Philippines (Before)

• Oriental Mindoro • Calapan City • Located in the eastern

portion of the island • Language (Tagalog) • Bisaya • Ethnic Group (Mangyan)

The island of Mindoro was mentioned in some Chinese Chronicles as the land “Ma’I” where Ma’I residents were believed to be trading with merchants from other parts of archipelago and Southeast Asia. The Spaniards visited the island in 1570 and established a settlement in Puerto Galera. The port in Puerto Galera has become an important median for galleons proceeding to and from Mexico. Mindoro became part of Batangas until the early 17th century and became part of Marinduque in June 1902. It was proclaimed a special province in November 1902 untiit became a regular province through Republic Act No.2964 on February 20,1921. On June 13, 1950, by virtue of RA 505, the Mindoro province was separated into Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.

History

• Land Tricycle and jeepneys are the main modes of transportation in Calapan City while several buses, jeeps and shuttle vans are being offered on a regular trip. Habal-Habal or motorcycle are being used as mode of transport in some places. The establishment of Strong Republic Nautical Highway(SRNH), a road network of 919 kilometers of Manila-Iligan via Dapitan runs along mainland Luzon, Oriental Mindoro, Panay, Negros and Mindanao provided opportunity for the province to interconnect with the major islands of the country via Roll- on- Roll- off (RORO) and fast crafts. The 129 kilometer road stretch from Calapan City to Roxas, (the gateway to Southern Philippines) and the extension of 50.4 kilometers of road from Roxas to Bulalacao passing through the Municipality of Mansalay has been the gateway for Visayas in the past few years. The National road is connected with the provincial and municipal roads leading to interior barangays which serve as passage of commuters and commodities. There is also circumferential road of 29 kilometers from Bulalacao to San Jose Occidental Mindoro which is the conduit in the mobility of passengers and transport of marine and agricultural products for both provinces. As of 2010, 224.225 kms is concreted, 71.13kms are asphalt while the remaining 32.742 is paved with gravel.

Going around

• Sea •

Calapan and Roxas Ports are the two major ports of Oriental Mindoro. Calapan Port providesvenue for the transport of cargoes and passengers to Metro Manila and other provinces in Luzon via Batangas port, with 32 daily round trips. Said port is equipped with berthing areas for fast craft, conventional and Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) vessels, passenger terminal shed and a Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) with complete amenities. For out bounded cargoes, rice, banana, fruits, citrus and other agricultural products are handled by the port, as well as inbound cargoes like cement, fertilizers and general commodities.

• Four shipping companies, namely: Starlite Ferry Inc., Montenegro Shipping Lines, Besta Shipping Lines, andSupercat Fast Ferry Corporation regularly ply theBatangas – Calapan route and vice-versa.The average travel time from Batangas to Calapan is 2 ½ to 3 hours by RoRo vessel and one hour through fast craft. The average travel time fromBatangas to Puerto Galera takes one hour by motorized banca.

• Puerto Galera has four jetty/service ports – Balatero, Muelle, Sabang and Minolo, which serve as docking areas for motorized boats ferrying tourists from Batangas Port. Mansalay and Bulalacao, being the province’s two largest fish-producing municipalities have fish ports linking the province to Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Antique, Taboron Island, and Semirara Island. Pola Port has an existing operations building and is once utilized for the transport of banana, copra, charcoal to the nearby municipalities and Manila in the past.

How to get there

• Air Three airports have been established in Oriental Mindoro but are currently non-operational. The Calapan Airportwhich usedmainly for general aviation and is being utilized as a training ground for flying schools based in Manila and to charter private individuals, government officials and investors.

• Pinamalayan Airport has been non-operational although equippedwith watch tower, administrative building, concrete runway,fire truck and service vehicle. This facility operates in emergencycases on situations.WasigAirport in Mansalay is non-operationalexceptduring emergency situations.

• How to get there?

- From Manila, go to the nearest bus station going to Batangas port. From there, ride a ferry going to Calapan City.

• Best time to travel: Summer or Holy Week

• Tourist Arrivals Foreign: 17,121 Local: 125,721

• The Pandang-Gitab Oriental Mindoro was launched as a street dancing competition and became a much applauded attraction as it was danced in Calapan City’s main avenue.

• Pandang-Gitab was coined from Pandanggo (Fandango) and Dagitab which is synonymous to “light”, adapting basic steps of Pandanggo sa Ilaw (Dance of Lights) which was told to have originated in Lubang, Mindoro Island.

Festival(s)

• Lake Naujan • Mount Halcon • Tamaraw Falls between San Teodoro and Puerto Galera • White Beach in Puerto Galera • Sunday Trip Band

Attractions

• The best time to go is always during the summer season from February to May.

• The tourism peak season in Puerto Galera is usually around the days leading to Holy Week and after it.

• Hire a van.

• Filipiniana, the largest

• hotel in Oriental Mindoro.

• Price ranges from

• Php1200-Php3500. • garden

• outdoor pool

• hot tub

• pool (kids)

• massage

• sauna

Home of the indigenous Mangyans

• Its capital is Mamburao and occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro, on the west by Apo East Pass, and on the south by the Mindoro Strait.

• LANGUAGES

• Tagalog

• Mangyan languages

• Ilokano

• Visaya

• Kapampangan

• Bikolano

The population of Occidental Mindoro is 452,971 in the 2010 census, making it the country's 21st least populated province.

Indigenous People

The indigenous people in the province are the Mangyans(Manguianes in Spanish, Mañguianes in Old Tagalog), consisting of 7 distinct tribes. They occupy the foothills and interior.

• Among the Filipinos, the industrious traders are the people of Sulu. They resented the colonization of the Philippines by the Spaniards for they could not trade freely with their countrymen anymore. They got angry when the Spanish soldiers attacked their settlements in Mindanao. The former traders retaliated by raiding the communities under the control of the Spaniards.

• Before reaching Mamburao, Captain Salcedo and his troops passed by Iling Island and Talabasi, believed to be the town of Sta. Cruz at present. They drove the raiders out of Mamburao and afterwards defeated the defenders of Lubang. During the 18th until the early part of the 19th century, many communities disappeared in Mindoro due to the frequent raids made by Muslim traders who became pirates. To defend themselves, the inhabitants of some settlements requested the government officials to help them construct forts and provide them with cannons which they could use against the pirates.

• When piracy stopped, merchants from other provinces bartered goods with our ancestors. One of them was Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo who during that time was a young businessman. In 1950, what could be considered as the most important event in its political history, happened in Mindoro. That year, the bill introduced in Congress by Mindoro Congressman Raul Leuterio, seeking the division of Mindoro into two provinces --- Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro, was approved and became Republic Act No. 505. The tourism industry in Occidental Mindoro, particularly in the town of Sablayan, is also being developed. Tourist guides are being trained in the said municipality. Beach resorts are also being constructed and marketed by local businessmen in various coastal municipalities

• Calawagan Mountain Resort

• Mamburao Beach Resort

• Inasakan, Ilin Island

• Hulugaan Falls

• Tayamaan Beach

• Ambulong Island

• Pandan Grande Island

• Cabra Island

• White Island

• Official hotel rate from US$93

Price ranges from Php 2000-Php 3000

Pandan Island is for people who like to spend time in tropical surroundings without cars and television. A place where you are woken up by the singing of colorful birds, where there is only a palm tree between you and the sea, where you still know your neighbors and where you may even meet a sea turtle before having your breakfast .

• Dugoy Festival is an annual festival in the municipality of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. It is celebrated during the town fiesta and through street parades and street dancing which feature the Mangyan culture. It is becoming popular in recent years and is now in its seventh year.

Marble Capital of the Philippines

• Area: 1,533.45 km2

• Capital: Romblon

• Municipalities: 17

• Barangays: 219

• Spoken Languages: Romblomanon, Asi, Hiligaynon, Tagalog

• Romblon's early inhabitants were the Negritos from Panay and Mangyan tribes from Mindoro. Ancient wooden coffins discovered in caves of Banton Island in 1936 signify a rich ancient civilization and culture in the province before the arrival of the Spaniards. These artifacts are currently in display at the National Museum in Manila.

• Legend has it that when Goiti’s expedition landed on the southern coast of Romblon Island, his men wandered along the beaches searching for food and water. One of his men saw a low built hut, and feeling thirsty, he sought the owner of the hut only to find a hen’s nest settled somewhere on top of the post near a window. Upon noticing the house occupant, a young woman, sitting nearby, the man asked if he could get the chicken for free. The young woman, not understanding a single word he was saying, answered in the vernacular “nagalumyom”, which meant that the hen was brooding some eggs. Perplexed, the man left the hut muttering in disgust the word “nagalumyom”. Asked upon his return to the ship where he came from, he mockingly answered “nagalumyom”.

• When the Spanish left, they named the island “Nagalumyom” which was corrupted to “Lomlom” and later, officially to “Donblon”. This is the name mentioned and reported by Miguel de Loarca in 1582, until it finally morphed into its present name Romblon to suit the Spaniards pronunciation

Air

From Manila Domestic Airport, which is located close to the International Airport, two airlines fly six times a week to the airport in Tugdan, Tablas Island, Romblon:

• Sea Air

• Zest Air

Sea Batangas Port

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the Super RoRo2 Sails to Odiongan Tablas Island, Romblon Island, leaving Batangas Port at 3pm.

• On several days a week ferries (Montenegro Lines) operate from the port of Batangas to Romblon

Manila Port: Pier 12

• Once a week Mary the Queen (MBRS Lines) operates between Manila, Romblon and Masbate

Mindoro to Romblon

Boracay to Romblon

• Biniray Festival: Fluvial parade at the sea, merrymaking and street dancing contest at the capital town. The feast honors the Sto. Niño.

•Mt. Guiting-guiting

• Cantingas River

• Carabao Island

• Tiamban Beach

Stone Creek House

Romblon Pineapple Hill Guesthouse and Restaurant

• Sarsa is made from coconut with chilis and very tiny shrimps caught in the river/streams. It is wrap in a coconut leaf and then boiled.

The Last Frontier

• Area: 14,649.73 km2

• Capital: Puerto Princesa City

• Municipalities: 23

• Barangays: 433

• Spoken Languages: Tagalog, Cuyonon, Hiligaynon

• The history of Palawan (means Kapalawan in Meranau) may be traced back 22,000 years ago, as confirmed by the discovery of bone fragments of the Tabon Lady in the municipality of Quezon. Although the origin of the cave dwellers is not yet established, anthropologists believe they came from Borneo. Known as the Cradle of Philippine Civilization, the Tabon Caves consist of a series of chambers where scholars and anthropologists discovered the remains of the Tabon Man along with his tools and a number of artifacts.

• Unlike most of the Philippines, Palawan is biogeographically part of Sundaland, with a fauna and flora related to that found in Borneo.

• Among the many endemic species are the Palawan Peacock-pheasant, Philippine Mouse-deer, Philippine Pangolin and Palawan Bearded Pig. In the forests and grasslands, the air resonates with the songs of more than 200 kinds of birds. Over 600 species of butterflies flutter around the mountains and fields of Palawan, attracted to some 1500 hosts plants found here. Endangered sea turtles nest on white sand beaches. Dugong numbers have fallen seriously, although Palawan still has a larger population than any other part of the country.

Sea

Palawan has boat connections to and from Manila, Iloilo (on Panay), and San José (on Mindoro).

Manila-Coron-Puerto Princesa • SuperFerry • Negros Navigation Manila-Coron-El Nido • San Nicolas Shipping • Atienza Shipping Lines

Iloilo (Panay) • Milagrosa Shipping San josé (Mindoro) • San Nicolas

Air-Puerto Princesa is accessible by direct flights from the major Philippine cities Manila, Cebu, Davao and Iloilo as well as Busuanga and El Nido and the Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu • Puerto Princesa International Airport

• El Nido Airport

• Francisco B. Reyes Airport (Busuanga)

• Air Asia (Zest Air)

• Cebu Pacific

• PAL

• SEAIR

• Asian Spirit

• ITI

• MASwings (Malaysia)

• Balayong Festival-a festival commemorating the founding anniversary of Puerto Princesa highlighted by street dancing, marching bands, parade and colorful floats made of recyclable materials.

• Baragatan Festival-to celebrate the founding anniversary of the Civil Government of Palawan

• Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

• El Nido Marine Reserve Park

• Malampaya Sound Land and Seascape Protected Area

• Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

• Ursula Island

• Mt. Mantalingahan

• Onuk Island

• Tubbataha Reef Marine Park

• Coron

The Legend Palawan

• Hotel Centro

Sheridan Beach Resort

Amanpulo Resort

El Nido Resorts

Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa

• Chaolong (with French Bread)

• Cashew Nuts

• Tamilok

• Seafood

The Heart of the Philippines

• Area: 952.58 km2

• Capital: Boac

• Municipalities: 6

• Barangays: 218

• Spoken Languages: Tagalog* and English

• The version of Tagalog spoken in Marinduque has been described as "the root from which modern national forms of speech have sprung," where remnants of archaic Tagalog could be found, spoken in a lilting manner by its inhabitants. If this linguistic theory is accurate, Marinduque's Tagalog has contributed significantly to the development of the official Philippine national language.

• Legend has it that the island of Marinduque was formed as a consequence of a tragic love affair between two people: Mariin and Gatduke. Mariin's father, a local chieftain, did not approve of this affair and ordered the beheading of Gatduke. Before this could be done, the couple sailed out to sea and drowned themselves, forming the island now called Marinduque.

About the Island

heart shaped

Highest peak: Mount Malindig

• Daily flight from Manila to Gasan, Marinduque Air

• From Pasay or Cubao, ride a bus bound for Lucena or drive there through the South Luzon Expressway

Land

• Can also ride a fast craft or ferry from Lucena City to Marinduque Sea

• Mt. Malindig

• Marinduque Sulfuric Hot Spring

• Kawa-kawa Falls

• Boac: Wood and stone houses

• Bathala Cave (Sta. Cruz)

• Talamban Caves (Boac)

Boac Hotel

Bellaroca Hotel

• Bibingkang Lalaki

• Arurut (Arrowroot Cookies)

• Natural beauty

• Rich flora and fauna

• Lots of access points

• Fertile land(agriculture)

• Island provinces

• Power Supply

• Inter-regional travel is hard

• Surrounded by water

• Poor health facilities

• Poorly maintained roads

• Lots of untapped beauty

• Lots of potential

• More room for development like beaches, nature parks, dive sites

• Pathway of storms

• NPA infested mountains

• Lots of access points from unwanted visitors

• Security