Mindorofacts

Commonly called "Puerto" or "PG" by its frequent visitors, Puerto Galera is a town off the northeast coast of mountainous island of Mindoro and can be easily reached by ferry from Batangas pier, on the south coast of Luzon. Passing through the Verde Passage upon approach to the island is already an impressive sight even for just seasoned island hoppers. With lush green hills and mountains overlooking Puerto Galera?s scenic harbor, coming to Puerto Galera comprises an area far more than just a dive destination. From Sabang Beach, Small Lalaguna, Big Lalaguna, Varadero Bay, to the east over to White Beach and to Talipanan Beach at the west, Puerto Galera encompasses over dozens of little coves and bays- that are developed, deserted, private but with over all impression of beauty and accessible site to all water activities. For divers, Puerto Galera is a popular destination. Having considered as marine sanctuary by mostly foreign divers who have settled in and around Puerto Galera, the coral reefs and sheltering species maintained its life and number. Since the mandated program against illegal fishing, spear fishing is banned and local dive operators even forbid fishing on inhabited dive sites particularly along the walls and drop offs. verde island Puerto Galera is not only an excellent diving destination; it is also an ideal place to learn diving. It has three 5 star PADI agencies and a resident PADI Course Director that monitors all courses being done accordingly. With this, you can assure to explore the underwater beauty of the island with appropriate knowledge on bouyancy and equipment handling. Puerto Galera has established dive resorts lined up next to each other. All of which have high standard of professionalism and reasonable training fees and scuba rentals. As there is not much to ask for, your main concern then turns to comfort and familiarity of the resorts. The most visited dive site in Puerto Galera is the Shark Cave at Escarceo Point, more or less below the light house in the cliff. The cave itself is more of a horizontal crack in the reef and there are usually one or two white tip reef sharks resting inside. As this is a deep dive, bottom time is limited, and if you miss it, you are entirely lost. To avoid such incident, dive with an experienced diver. verde island Other interesting dive sites in this area are the canyons that are usually visited from the Hole in the Wall, a natural tunnel big enough for a diver to pass through. From here a diver may swim along the wall to reach the Canyons, which are coated with soft and hard corals and home to many stunning tropical fish. These are tuna, lionfish, white tip sharks and hawksbill turtles. Manta rays, whale sharks and hammerheads have also been sighted. One of the best wall dive site in the Philippines is in Verde Island, located several kilometers east of the coast of Puerto Galera. The wall runs north from a rock projected out of the surface at the southeast tip of the island. Best sights here are Gorgonians, stunning line up of hard and soft corals covering the wall and with erupting colors of thousands of tropical fishes.

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The Spanish Regime ............................................................. March 17, 1521. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese navigator accidentally landed in the island of Samar. ........................................................ March 31, 1521. The first Catholic mass was held in Limasawa, an island in the south of Leyte. ................................................................. April 27, 1521. Magellan died in the hands of a chieftain, Lapu-lapu, from his strong will to invade the island of Mactan..................................... February 13 1565. Another group of explorers headed by General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, arrived in Cebu and insisted their claim for the island. ................. June 3, 1571. After defeating Raja Sulayman in a battle in Bangkusay, Martin de Goiti claimed autonomy of Manila. ................................................... June 24, 1571. Legazpi established Manila as the capital city with himself as Governor-General. ........................................................... April 14, 1617. The Spanish fleet headed by Juan Ronquillo prevented the British attempt to invade Manila in the battle of Playa-Homda......................... October 3, 1646. For the second time, the Spanish fleet defeated the British warship in Manila Bay. This event is commemorated in a yearly feast called " La Naval de Manila". .............................................................. October 5, 1762. The British fleet defeated the Spanish warship allowing the British rule the country for two years. ...................................... March 17, 1764. The British surrendered the country to Spain after losing a battle during the seven-year war between them. ................................. October 31, 1829. Francisco Dagohoy, a cabeza de barangay of Bohol and the leader of the longest uprising (8 years), surrendered to the Spaniards. ........ September 6, 1834. Manila was opened to international trade leading to a remarkable transformation of its economy. ...................................... February 15, 1889. The establishment of La Solidaridad, the newspaper founded by Graciano Lopez Jaena to voice out the Filipinos cry for reforms................ September 18, 1891. Jose Rizal finished his novel El Filibusterismo following the first, Noli Me Tangere. Both portrayed the struggling life of the Filipinos under the Spanish rule. ....................................................... July 3, 1892. Jose Rizal established La Liga Filipina, a civic movement aimed at reuniting Filipinos to act together for reforms and autonomy from the unjust administration of the Spaniards.................................................. July 7, 1892. Jose Rizal was captured and exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao. There he served as a doctor, a scientist and a teacher to the locals. ............... July 7, 1892. At the same day of Rizal?s capture, Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata and Valentin Diaz established the "Katipunan", a revolutionary movement aimed to fight for freedom against Spain. ...................................... August 19, 1896. The Spaniards learned the Katipunan movement that resulted to a massive capture of many Filipinos. ............................................. August 23, 1896. Bonifacio and his fellow Katipuneros tore their cedulas or residence certificates while shouting "Long live the Philippines", during their preparation for battle. This was marked as the historic Cry of Balintawak.......... August 25, 1896. The Katipuneros headed by Bonifacio had their first encounter with the Spanish civil guards and infantrymen. Due to strong forces and large presence of the Filipino troops, both camps of the Spaniards retreated. But in the end, Filipinos lost the battle when the latter came back with large number of fighters and stronger ammunition. ........................................... Setember 12, 1896. A group of revolutionaries from Cavite were executed. They are now known as teh "Trece Martires de Cavite" or the thirteen martyrs of Cavite. ....................................................................... December 30, 1896. Jose Rizal was executed by firing squad in Bagumbayan (now called Rizal Park) after being held captive at fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila. ........................................................................ March 22, 1897. The Katipuneros elected a new set of officers to replace the Katipunan. This was held in Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon and was called the Tejeros Convention. Bonifacio diisolved the convention after Daniel Tirona, an associate of Emilio Aguinaldo, questioned his professional credibility as the director of the interior without a Lawyer?s diploma. Aguinaldo?s group won and considered Bonifacio and his men enemies of the revolution. .................... . May 10, 1897. Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio were excuted in Mt. Tala, Cavite after an unjust trial headed by General. Mariano Noriel, an associate of Emilio Aguinaldo. .................................................. April 23, 1897. A new Spanish Governor named Fernando Primo de Rivera arrived in Manila for the purpose of minimizing the thriving rebellion of the Filipinos. He issued a decree to grant pardon to those who would surrender to the Spanish government. ................................................................... December 15, 1897. Primo de Rivera and Pedro Paterno signed the Truce of Biak-na-Bato allowing a temporary ceasefire between the Spanish and the Filipinos. ... December 27, 1897. Aguinaldo and his associates voluntarily moved to Hongkong for the amount of P800,000. ................................................... January 20, 1898. Periodic battles between the Filipinos and the Spaniards erupted due to mutual suspicion. General Francisco Makabulos of Tarlac established a provisional goverment. The arrest and imprisonment of suspected rebels continued and despite the Truce, the revolution persisted. ................. American Occupation ............................................................ February 14, 1898. The Spaniards bombed the American fleet "Maine" in Havana, Cuba killing 246 people. ....................................................... April 25, 1898. The United States declared war against Spain ordering Commodore George Dewy to attack the spanish fleet in the Philippines........................ May 1, 1898. Manila Bay turned into a massive battle field between United States and Spain. The Americans defeated the Spanish fleet led by Admiral Patricio .Montojo............................................................................ June 12, 1898. General Emilio Aguinaldo, who had returned from Hongkong, proclaimed Philippine independence at his mansion in Kawit, Cavite. ................ August 13, 1898. A mock battle between the Spanish and the Americans occured forbidding the participation of Filipino soldiers. Later, Manila was surrendered by Spain to the United States. ................................................. December 10, 1898. Without the knowledge of the Filipinos, Spain surrendered the Philippines (along with Puerto Rico and Guam) to the United States in exchange of $20 million under the Treaty of Paris. ......................................... January 23, 1899. General Emilio Aguinaldo was sworn into office as the president of the Philippine Republic and at the same time promulgated The Malolos Constitution. .......................................................... June 5, 1899. General Antonio Luna was killed by soldiers from the Kawit Company in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. ......................................................... December 2, 1900. The young general, Gregorio del Pilar died while fighting against the Americans in the Battle of Pasong Tirad (Tirad Pass). ................. March 23, 1901. Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans headed by Col. Frederick Funston with the help of some Filipinos in Palanan, Isabela. .............. October 16, 1907. The first Philippine Assembly was inaugurated at Manila Grand Opera House. Sergio Osmena was elected as speaker and Manuel L. quezon as Majority Floor Leader. ......................................................... Occtober 13, 1913. The Underwood-Simons Law took effect, allowing an open trade between the United States and the Philippines. ................................ August 29,1916. The Jones Law was signed allowing the existence of the Philippine Legislature and promising the Philippine independence from the United States. ........................................................................ August 26, 1930. Crisanto Evangelista established the Communist Party of the Philippines or CPP as a peasant?s rebel movement and was later joined by farmers and even professionals. ........................................................ December 7, 1933. Frank Murphy, the last American Governor, granted Philippine women the right to vote. ....................................................... March 24, 1934. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Tydings McDuffie Act as to allow the drafting of the Philippine Constitution and to establish the Philippine Commonwealth, an agreement to liberate the Philippines in ten years... March 23, 1935. Pres. Roosevelt approved the plebiscite on the constitution for the new Republic. Claro M. Recto presided the Philippine Constitution, which was mainly patterned after the American Constitution, over the Constitutional Convention. ........................................................................ September 18, 1935. Manuel L. Quezon was elected President of the Commonwealth and Sergio Osmena as the Vice President.......................................... World War II and the Japanese Occupation ....................................... December 7, 1941. The Japanese bombed the Pearl Harbor, a US military base in Hawaii. The Philippines wa attacked ten hours after the bombing. .............. December 25 1941. General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila as an "open city" but the Japanese ignored and still continued its attack. ....................... March 29, 1942. Luis Taruc established the anti-Japanese guerilla movement HUKBALAHAP ( Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon). ..................................... April 9, 1942. On this day, the "Fall of Bataan" and the infamous "Death March" took place. Around 76,000 starving Americans and Filipino soldiers surrendered to the Japanese in Bataan. The Japanese led their captives on a cruel hike from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O?donnell in Capas, Tarlac. Around 7,000 to 10,000 men perished from starvation during the ten-day march while some were luckily pulled out secretly by watching civilians. ............................................ May 6, 1942. Corregidor, the last U.S. Defense Base of Filipino-American troops under Jonathan Wainwright, fell under Commander Homma of the Japanese Imperial Forces. ......................................................................... October 24, 1944. This day the prominent battle of Leyte Gulf took place, where the island of Leyte was filled massively with an amphibious force of 700 vessels and 174,000 army and navy servicemen. By December 1944, the islands of Leyte and Mindoro had been cleared of the Japanese. ...................................... September 2, 1945. Right after the war in the Pacific, Japan surrendered to the Americans. The Philippines later was granted its independence but with over a million Filipino casualties. More than 60,000 Americans died and 300,000 Japanese lost their lives. ..................................................... The Philippine Republic ........................................................ April 30, 1946. The Tydings Rehabilitation Act was signed, giving the Americans equal freedom and previlige to use the natural resources of the Philippines. ... July 4, 1946. Manuel Roxas became the first President of the Philippine Republic. ...................................................................... March 14, 1947. The Treaty of General Relations was signed, allowing the US Military Bases to be installed in the Philippines for 99 years.................. April 17, 1948. Elpidio Quirino suceeded Manuel Roxas as the president when the latter died of heart attack. Alarmed by the growing armed members of Hukbalahap Movement, Quirino tried to negotiate with its leader Luis Taruc. ............... November 10, 1953. Ramon Magsaysay was elected the new President and Carlos P. Garcia as Vice President. Known to be the leader of the poor, Magsaysay, initiated many local infrastracture projects and established special courts to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. ................................ May 17, 1954. Hukbalahap leader Luis Taruc surrendered to the government, signalling the decline of the movements threat.................................. March 17, 1957. President Ramon Magsaysay died in an airplane crash in Manunggal, Cebu. ............................................................... November 11, 1961. Diosdado Macapagal won the presidential election and replaced President Carlos P. Garcia. .................................................... May 12, 1962. Soon after taking office, President Macapagal proclaimed June 12 as a national holiday in commemoration of Philipine Independence instead of July 4. General Emilio Aguinaldo, who first proclaimed Philippine independence in 1898, was the Guest of Honor at the first celebration of of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1962. ................................................. August 8, 1963. President Macapagal signed the Agricultural Land Reform Code. .. November 9, 1965. Ferdinand Marcos was elected the 6th president of the Philippine Republic. He made extravagant spendings on public works, building roads, bridges, health centers, hospitals, schools and putting up urban beautification projects. ....................................................... August 8, 1967. The Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) was organized after a meeting in Manila. ..................................................... December 26, 1968. Jose Maria Sison reestablished the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) as a Stalinist-Maoist Political Party. ....................... November 11, 1969. Marcos was re-elected as president........................... June 1, 1971. a bomb exploded at Plaza Miranda during a political rally of the Liberal Party. There were around 100 casualties and 10 deaths. Starting that time, the popularity of Benigno Aquino and his Liberal Party grew rapidly. Marcos blamed the communists for suspicious bombing. ........................... September 21, 1972. Marcos declared martial law under the proclamation No. 1801. Many opposition leaders including Benigno Aquino, journalists and activists were detained in Fort Bonifacio under martial law....................................

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Festivals Bansudani Festival (January 17-19; Bansud, Mindoro Oriental). A thanksgiving ritual for bountiful harvest which coincides with the town fiesta. It features dances and cultural presentations by schools and barangay communities. ............................................................................................................ Feast of the Divine Savior (January 17 –19; Bansud, Mindoro Oriental). Highlight is an agro-trade fair. .................................................................................................................................................................. Feast of the Sacred Heart (February 14-15; Bansud, Mindoro Oriental). Highlight is an agro-trade fair. ................................................................................................................................................................. Banana Festival (March 18-19; Baco, Mindoro Oriental). A celebration of the abundance of bananas. It features a banana cookfest and a "saba"-(type of banana)-inspired street dancing competition and beauty pageant. This coincides with the town fiesta in honor of St. Joseph. .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Sulyog Festival (March 19; Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro). A religious festival in honor of St. Joseph. It is celebrated by way of the Sulyog (Suli and Niyog) Festival through dances, flats, and cultural shows. ........................................................................................................................................................................................... Bahag-hari Festival (April 24; Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro). A colorful celebration highlighted by street dancing, a parade of colorful floats, and a different kind of Moriones Festival. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... The Sabutan Festival and Mini- Trade Fair (April 25-29; Mabitac, Oriental Mindoro). It showcases the different native products of the province, mainly from Sabutan. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Lechon Festival and Gabi ng Pakulo (June 24; Pola, Oriental Mindoro). A religious festival in honor of St. John the Baptist, coupled with a festive social affair, usually, a banquet, preceded by a pagoda and the parade of lechon (roast pig). Its most interesting feature is the Gabi ng Pakulo, a combination of street dancing and all sorts of cultural entertainment, performed by different barangays on the streets of Pola. ..................................................................................................................................................................... Feast of St. John The Baptist / Lechon Festival (June 24; Pola, Oriental Mindoro). At the Lechon Festival, or Parada ng Lechon, in local parlance, roast pigs or lechon garbed in creative costumes are paraded around the town to the accompaniment of gay chanting and "buhusan" – a customary practice during the San Juan Bautista feast, which involves water dousing. A selection of the best from among the lechon entries follows, along with a free-for-all banquet open to the townsfolk and visitors alike. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Biniray Festival (June 29; Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro). A grand pagoda show as a way of thanksgiving for the blessings from the sea. Other highlights are street dancing, a parade of spectacular floats, and cultural presentations of schools and communities. ..................................................................................................................................................................................... Pakapya-agtike Festival (July 25-27; Socorro, Oriental Mindoro). This festivity features cultural shows, a parade of floats, and street dancing on the last day, showcasing agricultural bounty. Schools, barangays, and tribal communities participate. The festival is a thanksgiving offering to the town patron, the Holy Family. ......................................................................................................................................................................... Sayaw Lahi Festival (September 10; Naujan, Oriental Mindoro). A festival featuring all native dances performed on the streets by different schools and barangay communities. Other highlights are the school band competition, live-band concerts, and awarding of outstanding Naujenos. .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Kapakyanan Festival (October 14-15; Victoria, Oriental Mindoro). Kapakyanan means abundance. The festival focuses on the bountiful harvest of fruits and crops. Its highlights are street dancing and a beauty pageant with agriculture as the central theme. ................................................................................................................................................................................... Pamugu-an Festival (3rd week of October; Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro). It is a festive reunion of different Mangyan tribes. There are sports events, such as the Palaro ng Lahi, cultural presentations, product demonstrations, and "Barakalan" or "baratillo" or sale of native products. ............................................................................................................................................................ Sanduguan Festival (Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro). It revives the barter trade between the Mai natives and the Chinese traders. This week-long festivity features an agro-trade fair. There is a historical parade, re-enactment of the barter trading, and the Indakan sa Sanduguan, a street dancing competition. Considered as the biggest and the most innovative festival in the province, it also features art and historical contests, workshops, and contemporary and ethnic cultural shows. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Feast of Santa Catalina (November 26; Mansalay. Oriental Mindoro). Highlight is the Palarong Lahi, an array of games very native to Mindoreños, and Filipinos, joined in by all game enthusiasts. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro). Highlight is an agro-trade fair.................................................................................................................................................................... San Teodoro Founding Day and Immaculate Conception Feast (December 8; San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro). Highlight is the Tiyakad, a dancing event wherein stilts masters systematically march and sway to the delight of the viewers; a very funny and entertaining event. .......................................................................................................................... Coco Festival (December 8; San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro). It is a religious festival honoring the Immaculate Conception. It features street dancing, a parade of floats, and other activities centered on the town's agricultural bounty, the coconut....................................................................................................................................................................Saknungan (San Jose; April 25-27) An exemplary showcase of Mindoro's cultural heritage and resources, it is a three-day festival which commences with the annual celebration of the province's blessings. Saknungan is a Mangyan term which means "bayanihan" or the spirit of cooperation, brotherhood, and unity at work. This is portrayed by the Mindoreños in their day-to-day activities, especially during the planting and harvest seasons. The three-day festivity is highlighted by street dance and a parade. Also held are agro-industrial and techno trade fair, drum and bugle parade/contest, bikathon, Juego de Anillo, cultural dance competition, palo sebo, hulihan ng baboy, cultural presentation, awards and fellowship night.........................................................................................................................................

BRIEF DESCRIPTION The inverted-J-shaped Oriental Mindoro is endowed with some of the Philippine Islands? best naturescapes. Choose your own beach among the many that abound, from fawn beige to powdery white. Then match the experience with interesting mountain lairs, lakes, rivers, rain forests, wild animals, rare flora and fauna, and pocket communities of the existing ethnic groups. It has maintained its unspoiled environment, all within a rustic agricultural setting. .............................................................................................................................................................. The province's foremost asset is Puerto Galera, blessed with one of the world?s most beautiful natural harbors. Known as the Pearl of Mindoro, it is world-famous for splendid beaches, coral reefs, and exquisite dive sites for new and experienced divers alike. There are shallow coral gardens, interesting rock formations, and colorful species to watch, like crabs, shrimps, sea anemones, moray, and trumpet fishes. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Alibatan Island in Baco, noted for its white sand, serves as a breeding place for seagulls and turtles. Corals and oysters can be found all around the area. Also in Baco is Mt. Halcon, the country's third highest peak and a favorite destination for nature tripping and mountain climbing. In Puerto Galera, 423-foot Tamaraw Falls is a series of asymmetrical falls, leading to a grand fall, dropping to the frothy waterbed below. Another attraction within the area is Sabang Beach, a portion of which is tourist-flocked for water sports and a cluster of nightspots popular for evening socials. Beside Sabang Beach is Small La Laguna, with amazingly beautiful coral reefs, and water ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Indulge in a number of special interest tours while in the province, from mountain climbing to trekking, hiking, camping, butterfly watching, game fishing, and adventure trips to the wilderness. Enjoy active water sports such as scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming. Visit the Mangyan settlement areas, and find it rewarding to engage in natural cave and waterfall exploration and island hopping." ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... GEOGRAPHY Oriental Mindoro is located 15 kilometers off the southwest coast of Luzon. It lies on the eastern portion of the island. It is bounded on the north by Verde Island and the Verde Passage, on the east by Maestro de Campo Island and Tablas Strait, on the south by Semirara Island near Pandarodan bay, and on the west by the province of Occidental Mindoro. It has a total land area of 436,470 hectares. The province has 39 named and 89 unnamed islands and islets, leaving much of its attractions virgin to visitors, and an untrammeled area to explore. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... CLIMATE Oriental Mindoro enjoys a climate favorable to vegetable growth throughout the year. What is remarkable is that there is neither a dry season nor a pronounced maximum rain period. The location and topography of the island on the western side of the great ocean body is another contributing factor in the rainfall pattern of the province. China Sea, fed by warm water from a branch of south equatorial current, passes between Singapore and Borneo thus keeping the water bodies surrounding the island warm year-round and consequently providing excellent sources of moisture............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ POPULATION Based on the May 2001 National Statistics Survey, Oriental Mindoro Island registered a total population of 669,000. The people are mostly of Tagalog stock. The ethnic Mangyan tribe consists of various smaller tribes like the Iraya, Alangan, and Tadwanan. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ INDUSTRIES The lifestyles of Mindoreños are basically simple and rural. 70 percent of the populace engage in land and sea agriculture, with only 30 percent living in urbanized centers. The ethnic tribes, Mangyans, are gentle and withdrawn but many of them have managed to integrate into the cultural mainstream, largely in the municipalities of Mansalay, Baco, Puerto Galera, Roxas, and Bongabong. These Mangyans are skilled weavers and craftsmen, producing intricate tribal finery, including baskets, mats, and other items, both functional and aesthetic...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... LANGUAGE / DIALECTS Visiting Oriental Mindoro does not entail memorizing bits of conventional lines in dialects spoken other than Tagalog, which serves as the predominant dialect. Other dialects spoken are Ilocano and Cebuano. Strains of the Mangyan dialect spoken are Arayan, Alagnan, Buhid, Hunuo, and Tadyawan. The working population can read and speak Filipino and English.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. POLITICAL SUBDIVISION Oriental Mindoro is composed of 15 municipalities, with Calapan City as the capital of the province. The municipalities are Baco, Bansud, Bongabong, Bulalacao, Naujan, Mansalay, Pinamalayan, Pola, Puerto Galera, Roxas, San Teodoro, Socorro, and Victoria Gloria...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Occidental Mindoro - Marine Wonderland Of Luzon...MINDORO OCCIDENTAL ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Description Dubbed as "Marine Wonderland," the fantastic land that is Occidental Mindoro is endowed with marine beauty from its virgin forests, beautiful white sand beaches, islands and islets rich in marine life, coral gardens, mysterious caves, and cascading waterfalls. .............................................................................................................................. It has one of the country's wondrous secret hideaways, the Apo Reef, which is regarded as the second largest in the world. This 34-kilometer reef in Sablayan, which is located in Apo Island, is acclaimed as the best in Asia and as the diving mecca of the Philippines. The Apo Reef Marine Park includes the fascinating bird-populated islands of Binangaan and Cajos del Bajo, which are surrounded by waters with over 500 species of marine life and luxuriant coral growth represented by approximately 400 to 500 kaleidoscopic coral species. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mt. Iglit in San Jose is a game sanctuary for the tamaraw, a wild animal found nowhere else in the world, bearing a resemblance to the Philippine buffalo, commonly known as carabao. Mamburao boasts of an elongated strip of beach with natural and rustic surroundings. In Lumang Bayan, Sablayan, a five-hectare park overlooking the sea, known as Presing Park, is frequented by promenaders. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Occidental Mindoro is a diving paradise with so much to offer divers out to discover several unexplored shoals and atolls. The areas around Ambulong Island, Ilin Island, White Island, and Pandan Grande offer a fertile diving ground surrounded by exquisite coral reefs and colorful marine life, ranging from exotic fish to exquisite seashells. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... Every 25th to 27th of April, residents of San Jose celebrate the Saknungan, a 3-day thanksgiving festival highlighted by streetdances and parades. Saknungan is a Mangyan term which means ""bayanihan"" or the spirit of cooperation, brotherhood, and unity at work - the spirit portrayed by the Mindoreños day-to-day, especially during the planting and the harvesting seasons. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... GEOGRAPHY The entire island of Mindoro, which is separated from the Southern Luzon mainland, is composed of Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro. These two provinces are separated by a mountain range, running through the entire length of the island, which serves as a natural and political boundary. Occidental Mindoro is situated along the western part of the island, located south of the province of Batangas in Southern Luzon. On the north, it is bounded by Verde Island Passage, on the west and the south by Mindoro Strait, and on the east by Oriental Mindoro. The topography of Occidental Mindoro is generally rugged, with narrow strips of coastal lowlands. Its terrain is characterized by successive mountain ranges, valleys, and elongated plateaus, with rolling lands along the coastal region................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. CLIMATE The province has two pronounced seasons: the dry season from November to April, and the wet season during the rest of the year. It is shielded from the northeast monsoon and tradewinds by mountain ranges but is vulnerable to the southeast monsoon and cyclonic storms. The average annual volume of rainfall is 2,000 mm. Temperature ranges from 30.7 to 16.4 degrees Celsius. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... POPULATION The island of Occidental Mindoro registers a total population of 380,250 based on the 2000 National Statistics Office Survey. It ranked eight in population/size in the Southern Tagalog Region, accounting for 4.5 percent of Mindoro's total number of inhabitants. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Language/Dialects Tagalog is spoken by 69.78 percent of the people. Other dialects are Ilokano (10.63 percent), Hiligaynon (6.47 percent), and Kinaray-a (5.84 percent). The working population can read and speak Filipino and English. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS Occidental Mindoro is politically governed by a Provincial Governor, as in other provinces and municipal mayors. It is divided into eleven municipalities: Abra de Ilog, Calintaan, Looc, Lubang, Magsaysay, Mamburao, Paluan, Rizal, Sablayan, San Jose, and Sta.Cruz.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Posted by: Mindorofacts
Modified on March 13, 2007 at 1:32 AM