MINDORO - THE FORGOTTEN ISLAND
Mindoro - Philippines (Occidental - Left)
Today,
I want to highlight a Philippine island that for many people may well be
considered; "off the map" - the island of Mindoro, and more specifically the
western side of the island, Occidental Mindoro.
Mindoro, a large, tear-drop shaped island is the seventh largest Island of the Philippines, at roughly 10,600 square kilometers, and lies off the south-west coast of Luzon, the main island. It's two provinces, Occidental and Oriental Mindoro are clearly delineated by a range of mountains that form the spine of the center of the island. Although not generally seen as a tourist destination, Oriental Mindoro does contain one famous resort in Puerto Gallera, a popular spot for divers and sun-seekers, located on the far north-west tip of the island.
Today, however, I want to focus on Occidental Mindoro, on its sheer unspoiled beauty and the immense potential that exists there.
Occidental Mindoro is accessible from the Luzon mainland in two ways. First, there are daily flights by Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines to the province's largest town, in the south of the Island - San Jose. The other option is to catch "a slow boat to China" i.e. a roll-on-roll-off ferry from the port of Batangas, to the port of Abra de Ilog, at the north of the island. The trip can take anywhere from 90 minutes to as much as three, four or even five hours, depending on which ferry you are fortunate or unfortunate enough to have caught. There appears to be no rhyme or reason why some ferry trips take forever, and some are quick and easy. It's just the luck of the draw.
From Abra, the western side of the island spreads out before you and you can travel down from North to South in either air-conditioned buses or large passenger vans that ply the Abra - San Jose route regularly. The trip by road from one end of the island to the other will take you around 5-7 hours depending on your mode of transport.
The first time I visited Mindoro was in 2012 as we travelled to my wife's home-town school reunion in San Jose. We took the "slow boat to China" and the long bus ride down the Island, a trip that took all of 18 hours from the time we left our home in Metro Manila, till our arrival in San Jose. It was, however, a fascinating 18 hours though as I drank in the sights of a part of the Philippines that was so diametrically opposite to the hustle, bustle and frenetic pace of Metro Manila.
Mindoro, a large, tear-drop shaped island is the seventh largest Island of the Philippines, at roughly 10,600 square kilometers, and lies off the south-west coast of Luzon, the main island. It's two provinces, Occidental and Oriental Mindoro are clearly delineated by a range of mountains that form the spine of the center of the island. Although not generally seen as a tourist destination, Oriental Mindoro does contain one famous resort in Puerto Gallera, a popular spot for divers and sun-seekers, located on the far north-west tip of the island.
Today, however, I want to focus on Occidental Mindoro, on its sheer unspoiled beauty and the immense potential that exists there.
Occidental Mindoro is accessible from the Luzon mainland in two ways. First, there are daily flights by Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines to the province's largest town, in the south of the Island - San Jose. The other option is to catch "a slow boat to China" i.e. a roll-on-roll-off ferry from the port of Batangas, to the port of Abra de Ilog, at the north of the island. The trip can take anywhere from 90 minutes to as much as three, four or even five hours, depending on which ferry you are fortunate or unfortunate enough to have caught. There appears to be no rhyme or reason why some ferry trips take forever, and some are quick and easy. It's just the luck of the draw.
From Abra, the western side of the island spreads out before you and you can travel down from North to South in either air-conditioned buses or large passenger vans that ply the Abra - San Jose route regularly. The trip by road from one end of the island to the other will take you around 5-7 hours depending on your mode of transport.
The first time I visited Mindoro was in 2012 as we travelled to my wife's home-town school reunion in San Jose. We took the "slow boat to China" and the long bus ride down the Island, a trip that took all of 18 hours from the time we left our home in Metro Manila, till our arrival in San Jose. It was, however, a fascinating 18 hours though as I drank in the sights of a part of the Philippines that was so diametrically opposite to the hustle, bustle and frenetic pace of Metro Manila.
The Rice Fields of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines
I
quickly dubbed Mindoro as the forgotten island". It seemed to me that the rest
of the country had somehow forgotten that Mindoro existed. The infrastructure
was still back in the 1950's, with large parts of the main road not paved and
with several main bridges in a state of total disrepair. The drive itself;
through the rich farmlands of rice, corn and tobacco was beautiful and always
interesting. On one side were the rich farming valleys and on the other side,
often the sparkling waters of the West Philippine Sea.
One thing I wondered early on was whether the Spanish had also forgotten the island of Mindoro. So often in my travels around the Philippines I have been impressed and stunned by the grandeur of the Spanish architecture and the historic, beautiful churches that they left behind. I saw none of this in Mindoro and must only assume the Spanish never saw the necessity to populate Mindoro in quite the same way as they did other islands of the archipelago.
The two towns in which I've spent the most time in Occidental Mindoro over the past three years bear some mention here, for different reasons.
One thing I wondered early on was whether the Spanish had also forgotten the island of Mindoro. So often in my travels around the Philippines I have been impressed and stunned by the grandeur of the Spanish architecture and the historic, beautiful churches that they left behind. I saw none of this in Mindoro and must only assume the Spanish never saw the necessity to populate Mindoro in quite the same way as they did other islands of the archipelago.
The two towns in which I've spent the most time in Occidental Mindoro over the past three years bear some mention here, for different reasons.
"Paradise on Earth" - Lagundian Bay, Mamburao
Firstly, I want to talk about the
first town you come across in your drive south from Abra de Ilog; the Provincial
Capital of Mamburao. Initially I expressed surprise that Mamburao should be the
Provincial Capital, given it was a relatively small town, just a large fishing
village and rural service town really, but like all things political in this
country, I was told that there was a myriad of reasons why Mamburao was chosen
as the Provincial Capital back in 1950, when the island was split into its
current two provinces. I suspect it probably had something to do with it being
the home-town of the Province's first Governor.
Mamburao is home to some of the most stunningly beautiful, beachfront real estate I've ever seen anywhere in the world. The beaches at Mamburao may not have pure white sand like Boracay, but they have something much more special - peace, tranquillity and sheer magnificence of scenery. To witness a sunrise or a sunset on a beach in one of the many bays around Mamburao is to truly feel at peace with the world.
The term "paradise on earth" is one that is bandied about far too much, but when I'm sitting under a coconut tree, sheltered from the sun, looking out through a vista of trees at the sparkling, deep blue waters of the West Philippine Sea I am at a loss for a better description of this amazing place.
There are very few beach resorts in Mamburao; it truly is an undiscovered gem in the tourist crown of these beautiful islands. It is not unusual to swim at Lagundian Bay, near Mamburao and to see no other person within a radius of several miles. It is the epitome of "getting away from it all" and the antithesis of the hectic lifestyle of Metro Manila. For me, the beaches of Mamburao are, and hopefully will always be; "paradise on earth". Selfishly I say, long may Mamburao remain an undiscovered gem!
Mamburao is home to some of the most stunningly beautiful, beachfront real estate I've ever seen anywhere in the world. The beaches at Mamburao may not have pure white sand like Boracay, but they have something much more special - peace, tranquillity and sheer magnificence of scenery. To witness a sunrise or a sunset on a beach in one of the many bays around Mamburao is to truly feel at peace with the world.
The term "paradise on earth" is one that is bandied about far too much, but when I'm sitting under a coconut tree, sheltered from the sun, looking out through a vista of trees at the sparkling, deep blue waters of the West Philippine Sea I am at a loss for a better description of this amazing place.
There are very few beach resorts in Mamburao; it truly is an undiscovered gem in the tourist crown of these beautiful islands. It is not unusual to swim at Lagundian Bay, near Mamburao and to see no other person within a radius of several miles. It is the epitome of "getting away from it all" and the antithesis of the hectic lifestyle of Metro Manila. For me, the beaches of Mamburao are, and hopefully will always be; "paradise on earth". Selfishly I say, long may Mamburao remain an undiscovered gem!
The Farmlands of Rizal, Occidental Mindoro
The other town in Occidental
Mindoro that I want to highlight is the small farming town of Rizal. Rizal is
located around 30klm north of San Jose and about 10klm in from the coast, in the
island's interior. It is special to me for two reasons; one, it is the home town
of my lovely wife; it's where she grew up and where her Papa (Papang) still
lives and farms, along with two of her brothers.
Secondly, Rizal, to me, is the epitome of Philippine rural life. It exists for one reason and one reason alone, to service the farms and farmers of the valley in which it is located. Just getting there is no easy task, a long, hot dusty ride by tricycle over three sets of hills and into three valleys is required before you drive up the main street of Rizal.
Rizal, I suspect, has changed very little since my wife grew up there in the 1960s and 70s. Sure, there is more mechanization now than there was then, more vehicles on the roads, but it was easy to walk along the main road of Rizal and picture the little girl walking down the road to the local school or running to the store to buy something for Mama or Lola. There are no great, pretentious buildings in Rizal. The town has that age-worn, lived in look of a place where just getting by was the norm and there was seldom excess to spend on luxuries like making the house look pretty or repairing the broken shutters and eaves.
Secondly, Rizal, to me, is the epitome of Philippine rural life. It exists for one reason and one reason alone, to service the farms and farmers of the valley in which it is located. Just getting there is no easy task, a long, hot dusty ride by tricycle over three sets of hills and into three valleys is required before you drive up the main street of Rizal.
Rizal, I suspect, has changed very little since my wife grew up there in the 1960s and 70s. Sure, there is more mechanization now than there was then, more vehicles on the roads, but it was easy to walk along the main road of Rizal and picture the little girl walking down the road to the local school or running to the store to buy something for Mama or Lola. There are no great, pretentious buildings in Rizal. The town has that age-worn, lived in look of a place where just getting by was the norm and there was seldom excess to spend on luxuries like making the house look pretty or repairing the broken shutters and eaves.
A Typical Family Home in Occidental Mindoro
One thing that surprised me in
Occidental Mindoro was the predominance of the Nipa Hut style of house. This is
a bamboo constructed house with a roof of thatched flax to protect from the sun
and rain. Many, many of the families in Occidental Mindoro still live in either
pure Nipa Hut style housing, or a mixture of concrete block and bamboo, with a
thatched roof. I suppose it was a sign of the times, but something that will
stick with me, was the incongruity of a Nipa Hut, with a satellite television
dish attached to the roof. The twenty-first century meets tradition I suppose.
For me, Rizal was a warm and welcoming place. I also felt like I was coming home. I guess it helped that every second person we met was a cousin or a relative of some sort, but I felt a genuine warmth and hospitality that is so evident in the Filipino psyche. I remember saying to my wife, "if this is where you would like to retire to, in ten years time or so, then that's just fine by me." Simply put; in Rizal, I felt at home.
For me, Rizal was a warm and welcoming place. I also felt like I was coming home. I guess it helped that every second person we met was a cousin or a relative of some sort, but I felt a genuine warmth and hospitality that is so evident in the Filipino psyche. I remember saying to my wife, "if this is where you would like to retire to, in ten years time or so, then that's just fine by me." Simply put; in Rizal, I felt at home.
Ambulong Island, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro
I haven't even touched on
Sablayan or San Jose, but each of those towns has its own uniqueness and
excitement to offer. Sablayan has many beach resorts of great quality;
especially resorts located near the famous Apo Reef, which is a very popular
destination for divers. San Jose, equally, has a number of fine resorts. Many of
these are located on Ambulong Island, Ilin Island and White
Island.
The fact is Occidental Mindoro offers something unique and special that is hard to find in some of the more touristy resort locations in this country. If you fancy something a little off the beaten track, yet close enough to Manila to still be easily accessible; then give Occidental Mindoro a shot. Just don't be sitting on my beach at Lagundian Bay when I'm looking for my own peace and solitude!
The fact is Occidental Mindoro offers something unique and special that is hard to find in some of the more touristy resort locations in this country. If you fancy something a little off the beaten track, yet close enough to Manila to still be easily accessible; then give Occidental Mindoro a shot. Just don't be sitting on my beach at Lagundian Bay when I'm looking for my own peace and solitude!