Brief History

Much like the province of Oriental Mindoro to which it belongs, Puerto Galera is very
rich in history. Literally meaning Port of Galleons, it became popular among
seafarers during the prosperous years of the galleon trade beginning on the 1-th
century. Owning to its excellent natural harbor which until now is considered as one
of the most beautiful and safest in the world Puerto Galera became a regular
stopover for merchant vessels sailing along the important trade routes of the Near
East, Indian coast, Indo-Chinese coast, China, Philippines, Sumatra, and Java.
The Muelle Bay area, in particular, was used extensively for dock repairs and as a
safe anchorage for all types of sailing vessels. Here, too, a lot of merchant ships
docked to trade with the natives.
Puerto Galera was such important port that some historians even believe the name
"Mindoro" was derived from Minolo, one of Puerto Galera's old settlements. These
are claims, too, that 16th century references to Mindoro often only meant the
harbor of Minolo. Also spelled Minoro, Minolo was a small coastal settlement
northwest of the Poblacion of present-day Puerto Galera. then the center of trading,
Chinese merchants bartered with natives of Minolo, exhanging glazed porcelains for
gold, jade, corals, shells, birds, rattan, and other forest products that were abundant
in the island. An excavation of an ancient gravesite near Minolo lends proof to this the antiques unearthed from the gravesites were traced back to the 10th and 15th
centuries, mostly from China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
By the 17th century, under its Spanish colonizers, the island of Mindoro was
organized into a coregimiento, with Puerto Galera as the capital. The seat of
government remained here throughout the Spanish and American rules, up until
1903.
After more than two centuries, the capital of the province was transferred to
Calapan (now a city and the present capital of Oriental Mindoro), which was
geograpically blessed with wide agricultural lands. Puerto Galera was then annexed
to Calapan as a barrio. Finally, on December 7, 1927, the Philippine Congress
passed Act 3415 creating the independent municipality of Puerto Galera.
Epigraphs referring to two historical landmarks have now become major tourist
attractions in Puerto Galera - the commemoration Cross for Caonero Mariveles and
the Black Rice display-board, both in Muelle Pier.
When Puerto Galera was made capital of Mindoro, it was originally located in Barrio
Lagundian. But the frequency of the Moro attacks forced the Spaniards not only to
transfer the seat government to its present site, but also to build watchtowers and
station battleship that guarded the waters of Puerto Galera was the Caonero
Mariveles, which sunk due to a violent storm in 1879. To remember the battleships,
a wooden corss was built at Muelle Pier with the following inscription: "Ultima tierra
que pesarou los tripolantes del caoneros Marivelles el 18 de Noviembre de 1879."
One of the greatest relics of the past century, this Cross was renovated in 1938 by a
Spaniard named Luis Gomez y Sotto.

Aside form introducing tools to increase farm productivity, the Spaniards also built a
rice granary in Puerto Galera to stash grains ready for shipment. This storage is
believed to have caught fire in the late of 18th century, and a huge volume of palay
(rice grains) were burned and tossed into the sea. It would decompose and
eventually vanish. But for some magical reason, the burned rice grains were
preserved by seawaters. to this day, handful of whole charcoal-black rice grains
continue to appear on the banks of Muelle Bay, mysteriously carried by the waves
with the changing of tides. A huge glasscase collecting them now stands along the
tricyle terminal on Muelle Pier. Tricycles are pretty much like Philippine verions of car
hire ireland. Often called motor-taxis, tricycles are motorcycles that have attached
sidecars or passenger cabins. These vehicles can be seen in different forms and
length and are often used in areas where buses and jeepneys rarely operate.
I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA

Geography and geomorphology.

Puerto Galera (longitude 12050 to 12160 East ; latitude 1320 to 1325 North)
lies on the northern part of Mindoro Island, about 123 km. south of Manila. With a
total land area of 250 krn2 (Cf: MUNICIPAL PROFILE, 1990-1996), it is Y-shaped with
its open side on the north forming about 42 km. of irregular coastline extending
from the Talipanan Point on the northwest and Escarceo Point on the north-east. On
the north coast, Medio Island forms Puerto Galeras channel island providing two
entrances to Muelle Bay : on the western seaboard is the Manila Channel and at the
eastern side, the Batangas Channel. Because of a sandbar between the mainland of
Puerto Galera and Boquete Island, Boquete is only an island at spring-tide ;
otherwise it is a peninsula. Puerto Galera is bounded on the north by the Verde
Island passage, which separates it from the mainland of Luzon. The town is
accessible from Manila by a two-stage trip totaling about four hours of continuous
travel.
In general, the coasts of Puerto Galera is characterized by rolling topography, while
peaks and promontories are dominant inland. The highest point in the area is the 1
430 meters peak of Mt. Balatic, while the lowest is Mt. Alinyaban (934 m.). The
rounded mountain ridges indicate weathering action on resistant rocks. The general
northeast trend of the mountain range is displayed by the drainage divide from Mt.
Burburugan to Puerto Galera. This trend is repeated on the south by the peaks of
Mt. Micnic and Mt. Baltic. Draining these two parallel ridges, numerous streams and
rivers empty into the Verde island passage and Apo East passage. The mountain
slopes are steep, particularly those flanking large streams. Sharp Vshaped gullies
and numerous waterfalls reflect the young topography of the area. A wide valley
exists at 1 000 m. elevation in the headwaters of Liano Cawayan River, between the
peaks of Mt. Burburugan and Mt. Balatic. This valley may have been formed by
fluvial sedimentation on a dammed river and is presently the site of an indigenous
community of mangyans.
Smaller valleys along Subaang River, Tabinay River and Agbuyi Creek extend to the
eastern fringes of the area. Their upstream ends usually covered by primary riparian
forests, these valleys are presently sporadically cultivated and generally grassy. The

other flatlands in the area are represented by the alluvial fills fronting major coves.
These sites are at present extensively cropped with coconut, if not developed for
residential and commercial purposes.
Coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests, irregularly border the shoreline.
The walls of the reefs are usually steep at depths greater that 5.5 meters. In sites
where the coast is walled by cliffs, thin strips of beaches, crags and boulders form
the shoreline. The cli@ terrain is enhanced by the differential weathering of the
sedimentary rocks which, after wave cutting and erosion, results in steep to
overhanging walls on the coast. In areas adjoining coves and flatlands, there are
wider beaches.
Climate.
The climate of Puerto Galera is characterized by two seasons: almost dry from
December to April and wet the rest of the year. In 1990, it received an average
rainfall of 2 059.9 mm., ideal for agriculture. November had the highest rainfall with
450.2 mm. and 23 rainy days. The month with the lowest rainfall was February with
2.6 mm. and 7 rainy days. The annual prevailing wind direction is northeast with
122 days with typhoon or storm. Puerto Galera is more often directly affected by
tropical cyclones during the latter part of the typhoon season : October and
November. Because of its protected topography, maximum winds in Puerto Galera
could be much less that that observed in the surrounding areas. In 1990, the coldest
months were December and January when minimum temperatures were near 20 C
(the lower optimum temperature for rice production). The relative humidity of the
area was about 83.33 %, ideal for the cultivation of crops like corn Miguel D. FORTES
: Puerto Galera (Philippines) : A Lost Biosphere Reserve ? 11 rice, legumes, fruit
trees and a variety of orchids, but encouraging the growth of fungi, rust and
parasites to field crops. In the extreme southern parts of the area, a different
climatic condition prevails. Heavier rainfall and higher humidity occur as a
consequence of the increased elevation. The seasonality of rainfall in this portion is
also pronounced.
Oceanography.
The surface current pattern of the waters fronting Puerto Galera results primarily
from the wind-driven circulation in the seas around Mindoro Island. From May to
October, when a predominantly easterly flow dominates the area (southwest
monsoon), the current in Verde Island Passage moves from west to east. From
November to April, when the winds blow from the northeast (northeastern tradewind), surface currents in Verde Island Passage move from east to west. The outer
shores of Puerto Galera are exposed to the effects of waves and swells generated in
the open sea. The inner coves, on the other hand, are protected by the physical
configuration of the coast. The general trend in wave is that east facing coves and
shore segments along Verde Island Passage experience swells and refracted waves
from November to April. The west facing shores, in turn, experience those waves
from May to October. Longshore currents tend to conform with the prevailing
monsoon/trade-winds. The easterly and westerly directions are pronounced during
the northeastern trade-wind and southwest monsoon, respectively.

Topography The terrain is rugged with sometimes dense jungle, an irregular

coastline with crystal clear waters and white sand beaches, a natural harbor which
serves as an all-weather anchorage for all types of sea vessels.
Climate March to May are hot and dry; rains and typhoons abound from June to
October; November to February are pleasantly cool and dry. Peak tourist season is
from December up to May.
Accommodation Numerous, mostly family-run cottages and hotel rooms of all
categories are available. The types of accommodation range from simple beach
huts, made of bamboo and rattan, to comfortable luxury bungalows with kitchen
facilities. Nearly all accommodations are quoted for double occupancy and range
from 500 to 1,500 pesos for simple beach huts with porch and from 50 to 120 US
dollars for suite rooms in high-end resorts. Discounts are commonly given for
extended stays and depend largely on the visitors bargaining ability. During the low
season, from June to October, rates are about 20 percent lower than quoted above.
Beachfront accommodations are generally more expensive than those further
inland.
Water All resorts have running water. However, bottled mineral water (widely
available) is recommended for drinking. Mindoro Springs bottled mineral water is
the preferred choice.
Food Most resorts have restaurants. Native as well as international cuisine is
served in a variety of restaurants, along with a wide selection of fine wines,
imported and local spirits. Needless to mention, seafood is the best choice here.
Watersports The waters around Puerto Galera are rich in corals and manifold
marine life. The best diving sites are located around Sabang, Small and Big
Lalaguna, and on the north coast of Medio Island. The latter, known to world
scientists because of its treasures of botanical and zoological specimens, abounds
with thousands of terrestrial and marine plants. Fully-equipped, modern training
facilities for all levels of diving are available. At most beaches, there are surfboards,
sailing boats, kayaks, jet skis, dive masks, snorkels and fins for rent.
Shopping Souvenir textiles and RTW are sold in stalls along the pier, in boutiques
in Poblacion and by street vendors. Handicraft particularly marble novelties, rattan
and coconut products can also be purchased. Fresh fruits and fish can be bought at
the public market in Poblacion.
Postal Service The post office is located in downtown Poblacion. Some beach
resorts take care of their guests mail for a small charge.

Communications National and International DDD (Direct Distance Dialing) can be

made on numerous call stations using CATSI-PLDT or Globelines telephone. Cell sites
abound in Puerto Galera providing maximum coverage and strong signal for
subscribers of Globe, Smart and Sun Cellular.
Currency It is advisable to take a sufficient supply of peso since the exchange
rates offered by resorts are usually 10 percent below the rates in Manila. Cash,
checks and tickets and other valuables should be deposited with the resort
management against a receipt.
Electricity - Since power failures occur frequently many beach resorts and hotels
are equipped with electric generators. The voltage is 220 volts