The Mangyans of Mindoro

It was around this time last year when my husband was invited to speak to a group of Mangyans gathered together for a Sunday worship. Mangyan is a collective name for  eight tribes in the island of Mindoro, Philippines and we were to meet one of these tribes-- the Iraya Mangyans--for the first time. 

We traveled by land and sea to reach their settlement area in San Teodoro, passing by Puerto Galera first. A day of stop over in Sabang, Puerto Galera gave us a few hours to walk along the beach and stroll in its lone main street. Sabang has a narrower beach unlike the nearby White Beach, but the area is a haven for diving.

Since Puerto Galera is blessed with a natural harbor, it’s common to see locals selling sea shells on the seashore (remember the tongue twister?) as well as native products made by Mangyans. 

On the way to San Teodoro, we passed by Tamaraw Falls, which is surprisingly just a few meters off the main road. A replica of two tamaraws stand against a marker at the foot of the falls welcoming tourists and passersby eager for a picture-taking. A tamaraw is a small carabao-like animal native to Mindoro and it is already endangered.

After about an hour of uphill jeepney ride, which was sometimes smooth and sometimes bumpy, we finally reached the settlement site. At the center of the small community is a  small hut that serves as the tribe’s worship hall. It was inspiring to see and hear the Iraya Mangyans sing, lift their hands, call on God, and sit quietly on the pews as they listen to the preacher. Once in a while they break out in laughter, obviously delighted by the funny stories of the preacher. I was impressed when I later learned that some of the Iraya Mangyans who still live farther in the mountains hike for around five hours or more each Sunday to attend worship service.

I left Mindoro refreshed not only by the scenic views, but also made more aware that people in the city are not the only people in the world. The local government has provided the younger Mangyan tribe lowlanders with an elementary school in their settlement area. The Mangyans are also opening themselves to the gospel and they too, can be an inspiration. Even in a single visit, they could learn something from you, but you could also very well learn something from them. Miriam Beard was right when she said, “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”