We didn't pre-plan out trip to Puerto Galera down pat. We just kind of winged it and hopped on a boat. (Looking back I think this is the most YOLO-ing I've done in my life. LOL. I've always been a planner but I wanted to let loose sometimes and here's the chance.) We thought we'd figure things out when we reach the island. If not, we can always waste our time by the beach which is already pretty inviting on its own. Luckily, Ate Tessie, the caretaker of the
unit we rented, was one jolly fellow and she told us about the different places we could go to. She even helped arrange a land tour for us. It included a jeepney that can fit around 20 people and a driver who'll take us to 5 destinations we choose and we can spend as much or as less time on each as we please. Our first stop? Puerto Galera's Mangyan Village!
The Mangyan Village is situated in Talipanan which is some minutes away by car from
White Beach. Mangyan is the generic name for the indigenous groups found on the island of Mindoro. They used to be coastal dwellers who heavily traded with the Chinese but they moved inland and into the mountains to avoid the influx and influence of foreign settlers, particularly the Spanish. They're heavy on agriculture and farming
camote (sweet potato), rice and taro.
The village at the foot of Mt. Malasimbo is a perfect mix of culture and nature as I'd like to think. Nature was shining through and the huts blended with it beautifully the same way their traditional culture and practices managed to marry some of today's modern advances (like a basketball court for instance, a water supply system and electricity). Many of the elders still wore their traditional clothes while the younger generations had t-shirts and shorts and sometimes a combination of both.
But more than that, it's the Mangyans that made this place a worthwhile stop. One of them welcomed us to the place and shared a lengthy and interesting story as to how the village came to be. Back in the '90s, businessman-philanthropist Jaime Zobel de Ayala and his family bought a piece of land in the area from which an elementary school was built for the tribe. Almost 2 decades later, they managed to acquire the rest of the 4.2 hectare land which they developed into the Mangyan Village we see today. Not only did it help the community but it was also a way to preserve the culture of the tribe.
The area was pretty vast and one of the striking features of the village was the river that separated one part from the other. Big boulders of rock lined up while a stream of clear and cool water passed through. There wasn't much water at the time since it was summer and extremely hot out in the Philippines but it was a sight to behold nonetheless.
Perhaps my favorite part of this stop were the Mangyan kids. We were walking around the village when we spotted some of them huddled around one of the huts. We asked them to take a photo with us. At first they were a little shy but they eventually gave in and let out those "
rock n roll" and "
peace" signs. Of course, we had to teach them how to do it the "
K-drama" way too. *laughs* Finger hearteu anyone?
Looking back, I think I wasn't able to snap much of the scenery in this leg of our trip. I was busy chitchatting with my cousins and staring at every corner imaginable. Oh well, no regrets because time spent with this weird bunch is always fun (with or without the photos). I did however manage to vlog not just about the Mangyan Village but our entire Puerto Galera tour. Go ahead. Click play!
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