i did not able to attend the privilege speech in the congress about the mining issue here in mindoro.
but a question i heard which disturbs me is: WHERE IS THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM OCCIDENTAL MINDORO?
i also heard that prior to that, INTEX people where in her office.
a representative from partylist endorsed for inquiry into the matter.
the following day, she was interviewed in a radio.
some who heard her shook their heads in disbelief: The Representative does not know what she was talking about! The Congresswoman does not know the real issue!
is it or she is just on the other side of the fence?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
i was there...
i was in DENR office the past days and what i experienced there is very different.
there were 25 hunger strikers willing to sacrifice by not taking food in order to attain our goal: revocation of INTEX's Environmental Compliance Certificate,cancellation of MPSA, and recognition of 25 year moratorium of Oriental Mindoro and resolutions of 8 towns of Occidental Mindoro.
I arrived there late afternoon of tuesday.
there were many people and only few do i know.
later i was informed that others went to the congress for the privilege speech regarding the issue.
on the evening i opted to stay and sleep there.
it was uncomfortable.
i still did because i have something fighting for.
The following day was the presscon.
different personalities made their statements.
On the afternoon, atienza, the DENR secretary talked to the leaders of the two provinces of Mindoro together with the leaders of the Church and some mangyans.
atienza decide on the dialogue to suspend the ECC.
Holy mass was celebrated after that only to find out later that what was agreed upon was different from what he signed.
hunger strike continue..
the ultimate objective may not reached but what happened to us is more than enough reason to continue the struggle.
this is not an easy battle nor a short one.
this is a journey, a lifelong journey.
we are not doing this for ourselves but for everybody, next generation included.
i learned..i decide..TULOY ANG LABAN...
there were 25 hunger strikers willing to sacrifice by not taking food in order to attain our goal: revocation of INTEX's Environmental Compliance Certificate,cancellation of MPSA, and recognition of 25 year moratorium of Oriental Mindoro and resolutions of 8 towns of Occidental Mindoro.
I arrived there late afternoon of tuesday.
there were many people and only few do i know.
later i was informed that others went to the congress for the privilege speech regarding the issue.
on the evening i opted to stay and sleep there.
it was uncomfortable.
i still did because i have something fighting for.
The following day was the presscon.
different personalities made their statements.
On the afternoon, atienza, the DENR secretary talked to the leaders of the two provinces of Mindoro together with the leaders of the Church and some mangyans.
atienza decide on the dialogue to suspend the ECC.
Holy mass was celebrated after that only to find out later that what was agreed upon was different from what he signed.
hunger strike continue..
the ultimate objective may not reached but what happened to us is more than enough reason to continue the struggle.
this is not an easy battle nor a short one.
this is a journey, a lifelong journey.
we are not doing this for ourselves but for everybody, next generation included.
i learned..i decide..TULOY ANG LABAN...
open letter to sec. atienza about ecc of intex
OPEN LETTER TO LITO ATIENZA: NO MEANS NO!
Which part of the sentence, “NO!” do you not get?
In front of your office at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are 25 women and men, mostly Mangyan people, from Mindoro, who are on hunger strike. They are calling for the cancellation of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) you have issued to the Norwegian mining company, Intex for its Mindoro Nickel Project. They are the people who will be experiencing the direct impacts of the mining operations, and they have not been consulted, not by DENR, nor by INTEX. Most probably because you and INTEX would not want to hear what they have to say. Thus, they are bringing their position to your doorstep – they don’t want INTEX, they don’t want mining in the Alangan Mangyan’s ancestral domain, not in their watershed and anywhere in Mindoro.
A 25-year moratorium on mining was passed in 2002 in Oriental Mindoro. Similar ordinances were passed by different municipal governments of Occidental Mindoro, with 8 out of 11 municipalities passing a resolution against mining.
Governors, vice-governors, mayors and congressmen repeatedly stated in strong terms, and strong voices, that they do not want mining in their provinces. They said this in various public hearings in the provinces, they repeated this in DENR last Monday as the hunger strike began, and yesterday during the dialogue with you.
The Bishops, priests and nuns have called for the respect of the peoples’ strong position against mining, and one of them, Fr. Edwin Gariguez, a Mindoreno himself, is one of the hunger strikers. They made this statement in the pulpits, they made this on the streets of Mindoro, they repeated this during the dialogue with you, and they are reiterating this position in the hunger strike now.
You have issued the ECC to INTEX on October 14 even without the necessary requirements from INTEX - no documentation of public consultation, no documentation proving that they are not within the watershed areas. In fact, you have issued the ECC without waiting for the recommendation of the EIA-Review Committee. And that would not be surprising now that the Review Committee report has been released, with their final recommendation – DENIAL of the ECC. One of their findings is that no public consultation with the stakeholders directly affected was held; 4 of the 6 components of the mining project have no baseline data, particularly on terrestrial flora and fauna; and that there was no proper project area delineation.
With all of these, all you have to show for is a mere suspension of the ECC for 90 days. You are in effect giving INTEX and yourself the opportunity to cover up the inherent defects of the ECC . The 25 year moratorium was not recognized in the suspension order, and most certainly not the ancestral domain of the Mangyans.
What does it have to take for you to hear the message of the people of Mindoro? The LGUs and the religious of Mindoro are now more angered by the inadequacy of the suspension order, and the deceit with which this was issued. The 25 people who are on hunger strike are now more determined to pursue their cause.
The message of the Mindoro people is loud and clear –NO to INTEX. NO to mining in their provinces. The final recommendation of the EIA Review Committee –NO ECC for INTEX.
Why can’t you take NO for an answer, Mr. Lito Atienza? For someone who has been said NO to by the Commission on Appointment for 8 times, it might be really difficult for you to understand that NO is the opposite of yes. That NO is a negative response. That NO is a NO.
So before you leave your office to run for Mayor again, clean up your mess. REVOKE THE ECC of INTEX.
In solidarity with the people of Mindoro,
Judy A.Pasimio
Executive Director
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC-KsK/Friends of the Earth-Phils.)
judy.pasimio@lrcksk.org
www.lrcksk.org
Which part of the sentence, “NO!” do you not get?
In front of your office at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are 25 women and men, mostly Mangyan people, from Mindoro, who are on hunger strike. They are calling for the cancellation of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) you have issued to the Norwegian mining company, Intex for its Mindoro Nickel Project. They are the people who will be experiencing the direct impacts of the mining operations, and they have not been consulted, not by DENR, nor by INTEX. Most probably because you and INTEX would not want to hear what they have to say. Thus, they are bringing their position to your doorstep – they don’t want INTEX, they don’t want mining in the Alangan Mangyan’s ancestral domain, not in their watershed and anywhere in Mindoro.
A 25-year moratorium on mining was passed in 2002 in Oriental Mindoro. Similar ordinances were passed by different municipal governments of Occidental Mindoro, with 8 out of 11 municipalities passing a resolution against mining.
Governors, vice-governors, mayors and congressmen repeatedly stated in strong terms, and strong voices, that they do not want mining in their provinces. They said this in various public hearings in the provinces, they repeated this in DENR last Monday as the hunger strike began, and yesterday during the dialogue with you.
The Bishops, priests and nuns have called for the respect of the peoples’ strong position against mining, and one of them, Fr. Edwin Gariguez, a Mindoreno himself, is one of the hunger strikers. They made this statement in the pulpits, they made this on the streets of Mindoro, they repeated this during the dialogue with you, and they are reiterating this position in the hunger strike now.
You have issued the ECC to INTEX on October 14 even without the necessary requirements from INTEX - no documentation of public consultation, no documentation proving that they are not within the watershed areas. In fact, you have issued the ECC without waiting for the recommendation of the EIA-Review Committee. And that would not be surprising now that the Review Committee report has been released, with their final recommendation – DENIAL of the ECC. One of their findings is that no public consultation with the stakeholders directly affected was held; 4 of the 6 components of the mining project have no baseline data, particularly on terrestrial flora and fauna; and that there was no proper project area delineation.
With all of these, all you have to show for is a mere suspension of the ECC for 90 days. You are in effect giving INTEX and yourself the opportunity to cover up the inherent defects of the ECC . The 25 year moratorium was not recognized in the suspension order, and most certainly not the ancestral domain of the Mangyans.
What does it have to take for you to hear the message of the people of Mindoro? The LGUs and the religious of Mindoro are now more angered by the inadequacy of the suspension order, and the deceit with which this was issued. The 25 people who are on hunger strike are now more determined to pursue their cause.
The message of the Mindoro people is loud and clear –NO to INTEX. NO to mining in their provinces. The final recommendation of the EIA Review Committee –NO ECC for INTEX.
Why can’t you take NO for an answer, Mr. Lito Atienza? For someone who has been said NO to by the Commission on Appointment for 8 times, it might be really difficult for you to understand that NO is the opposite of yes. That NO is a negative response. That NO is a NO.
So before you leave your office to run for Mayor again, clean up your mess. REVOKE THE ECC of INTEX.
In solidarity with the people of Mindoro,
Judy A.Pasimio
Executive Director
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC-KsK/Friends of the Earth-Phils.)
judy.pasimio@lrcksk.org
www.lrcksk.org
Saturday, August 22, 2009
lost
i am lost,
after i reach what i am now, i don't know where to go.
what do i want now?
i have the power,
the people respect me,
i am well known even by children.
...and yet i feel i am lost.
perhaps many will say that i am good,
that others can emulate me,
that i did great,
that i am well and good,
that i am in the right track..
looks can really fool others,
its easy to hide,
showing okay yet deep inside hurting,
help..i need help..
after i reach what i am now, i don't know where to go.
what do i want now?
i have the power,
the people respect me,
i am well known even by children.
...and yet i feel i am lost.
perhaps many will say that i am good,
that others can emulate me,
that i did great,
that i am well and good,
that i am in the right track..
looks can really fool others,
its easy to hide,
showing okay yet deep inside hurting,
help..i need help..
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Costly Political War
I should have immediately taken note of yesterday morning's breaking news of http://www.inquirer.net about the diving spree of PGMA in Apo Reef last Thursday, April 24, 2008. It was a day after she went to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro concerning, expectedly, the rice issue that's hounding not just her strong republic but more so the poor Filipinos.
So, what's the news about the president visiting the Apo Reef? Of couse, Apo Reef is famous across the globe as among the most beautiful diving spots.
Actually, it was not that the president took notice of Apo Reef that caught my attention. It was the information based on inquirer.net's breaking news that together with the president aboard the presidential yatch were Rep. Girlie Villarosa and Gov. Nene Sato of Occidental Mindoro. The internet news provider adds that the reason for the two political stalwarts' unusual getting together was to mend their fences.
In the first election that Gov. Nene Sato participated in, she ran as vice governor to the husband of Rep. Girlie Villarosa. Until... well, the more-seasoned politicians and "feeling-close-to-the-politicians" in the province could tell us more about how the two politicians started to part ways.
In 2001, Occidental Mindoro saw the head-on meeting of Sato and Villarosa for governorship -- which the latter miserably lost, and during which the former nearly met her death not once but twice.
I could only suppose that the ensuing political war between their two camps has been taking its toll on both of them. I mean, individually. Villarosa's murder case, as reasoned by the Quintoses, was politically motivated. Sato, for her part, had to endure a couple of ambushes. On the level of the personal, their political war has threatened and in fact grossly affected already the personal integrity of both.
I can only imagine the anguish of a man behind bars, and the fear that is known to anyone who had to crawl -- literally -- for cover as live bullets were very narrowly missing her head.
And, ... well, the president of the Philippines was reportedly trying to reconcile the two..
I would like to put forward that the costliness of their political feud is not limited to their personal or individual spheres. It spills over and drowns the province, actually. And it is the people of Occidental Mindoro who suffer more than they -- individually -- do.
While this is debatable, I would like to say that partly their political war is the reason for the absence of a long-term governance plan for Occidental Mindoro. The plan of action of the Capitol is dependent on who sits as the governor. Anyone who wins the election is expected to begin from the scratch as he/she would refuse to build on his/her predecessor's gains (and follies) and as the loser scrambles also to tear down what he/she has built on ensuring that his/her successor could have a rather late start.
If sustainable plan for governance is too abstract as a topic, let us take the case of the Capitol employees. Their's is definitely a more existential proof of my point. After every elections in Occidental Mindoro, the succeeding news to hear is about who's in and who's out in the Capitol. Casual employees are replaced, and even career employees are "floated".
Still, this is just the tip of the real effect on the people. The most crucible thing to happen to the people of Occidental Mindoro as a result of this political war is very poor service.
Occidental Mindoro is more than half-a-century old as a province; and yet the more than 200 kilometers highway from the northmost tip to the southmost municipality of Occidental Mindoro is still rough road. And this is very telling.
In the end, I can only await the outcome of the PGMA-arbitrated reconciliation between Villarosa and Sato. For one, it likewise tells that politicking in Occidental Mindoro (which is the microcosm of Philippine politics) is patronage, and is divorced from the real political animals -- the people.
http://thatallmaybeone.blogspot.com/
So, what's the news about the president visiting the Apo Reef? Of couse, Apo Reef is famous across the globe as among the most beautiful diving spots.
Actually, it was not that the president took notice of Apo Reef that caught my attention. It was the information based on inquirer.net's breaking news that together with the president aboard the presidential yatch were Rep. Girlie Villarosa and Gov. Nene Sato of Occidental Mindoro. The internet news provider adds that the reason for the two political stalwarts' unusual getting together was to mend their fences.
In the first election that Gov. Nene Sato participated in, she ran as vice governor to the husband of Rep. Girlie Villarosa. Until... well, the more-seasoned politicians and "feeling-close-to-the-politicians" in the province could tell us more about how the two politicians started to part ways.
In 2001, Occidental Mindoro saw the head-on meeting of Sato and Villarosa for governorship -- which the latter miserably lost, and during which the former nearly met her death not once but twice.
I could only suppose that the ensuing political war between their two camps has been taking its toll on both of them. I mean, individually. Villarosa's murder case, as reasoned by the Quintoses, was politically motivated. Sato, for her part, had to endure a couple of ambushes. On the level of the personal, their political war has threatened and in fact grossly affected already the personal integrity of both.
I can only imagine the anguish of a man behind bars, and the fear that is known to anyone who had to crawl -- literally -- for cover as live bullets were very narrowly missing her head.
And, ... well, the president of the Philippines was reportedly trying to reconcile the two..
I would like to put forward that the costliness of their political feud is not limited to their personal or individual spheres. It spills over and drowns the province, actually. And it is the people of Occidental Mindoro who suffer more than they -- individually -- do.
While this is debatable, I would like to say that partly their political war is the reason for the absence of a long-term governance plan for Occidental Mindoro. The plan of action of the Capitol is dependent on who sits as the governor. Anyone who wins the election is expected to begin from the scratch as he/she would refuse to build on his/her predecessor's gains (and follies) and as the loser scrambles also to tear down what he/she has built on ensuring that his/her successor could have a rather late start.
If sustainable plan for governance is too abstract as a topic, let us take the case of the Capitol employees. Their's is definitely a more existential proof of my point. After every elections in Occidental Mindoro, the succeeding news to hear is about who's in and who's out in the Capitol. Casual employees are replaced, and even career employees are "floated".
Still, this is just the tip of the real effect on the people. The most crucible thing to happen to the people of Occidental Mindoro as a result of this political war is very poor service.
Occidental Mindoro is more than half-a-century old as a province; and yet the more than 200 kilometers highway from the northmost tip to the southmost municipality of Occidental Mindoro is still rough road. And this is very telling.
In the end, I can only await the outcome of the PGMA-arbitrated reconciliation between Villarosa and Sato. For one, it likewise tells that politicking in Occidental Mindoro (which is the microcosm of Philippine politics) is patronage, and is divorced from the real political animals -- the people.
http://thatallmaybeone.blogspot.com/
lynch
The past weeks of raining brought some attitude for the people of Mindoro. A week ago we went to kambingan, some kilometers from Pag-asa, Sablayan. Vehicles cannot pass through the road for there were some landslides. For the past days, workers from the DPWH tried to open the roads. There were two backhoes working side by side. Commuters on the other hand try to pass on the four-foot mud scattered on the road.There were men from the area helping the commuters to pass for a fee. They asked motorcycle drivers for P100 so that their motorcycle can pass. For poor drivers there is no alternative. They cannot do anything. DPWH tolerated it. Actually they can push the muds and open the road so that small vehicles can drive through yet for some "unknown reasons" they did not. Just a couple of days ago, I heard that a big motorcycle is asked to pay P250.00 to pass. What a shame. Instead of helping the commuters they use that as an avenue to collect fees. Is this included in Programang Patrabaho ni Gloria?
Monday, July 6, 2009
mamburao
Mamburao seeks to find place in the sun
By Glenna Aquino
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:43:00 03/15/2009
Filed Under: Travel & Commuting, Tourism
AFTER taking a Roro vessel from the Batangas pier, you reach Abra de Ilog, one of the entry points into Mamburao, capital of Mindoro Occidental.
Mindoro Occidental is the western part of the island province of Mindoro, south of Batangas.
The drive from the Abra de Ilog pier on the cement-paved Mindoro West Coast Road follows the ridge of high rolling mountains on one side and rice fields on the other, with intermittent glimpses of the Mindoro coast. It’s an arresting vista, but investors have yet to arrive.
Mamburao, though quite accessible, is relatively undiscovered. There are few tourist arrivals. Unlike rough and rowdy Puerto Galera, in neighboring Mindoro Oriental, Mamburao is laid-back. Almost as if it’s set in the ’60s, the sleepy town, like any community where farming and fishing are dominant, shuts down at dusk.
Occidental Mindoro is basically an agricultural province. Principal products are rice, coconut, peanut and abaca. The waters on its western coast comprise one of the most important fishing grounds in the country. But here, the sea and rice fields are still the fixed boundaries of a man’s life.
Reputation
While its natural, economic and political shortcomings, lack of trademark produce, and other problems have all added to its provincial backwater reputation, Mamburao is also a land unspoiled by mass tourism, where mountains drop to blue coastal waters, and sandy beaches lined with swaying palm trees.
It’s a setting that could be the next place for eco-tourism without the messy and amateurish planning of other destinations. It even has a good airport (now used by a flying school and for chartered planes), which adds to its tourist potential.
Mamburao has a long coastline of unpopulated sandy beaches in rustic surroundings, similar to those of small towns in the outer Hawaiian Islands. The abundance of its possibilities can be seen in a day it takes to drive around the town and back.
The landscape changes from grassy hillsides to green rice paddies, mangroves and flat savannah. Numerous rivers and tributaries flow from the mountains of Occidental Mindoro down to Mamburao and the neighboring towns.
A cruise down the Mamburao river is everything a river cruise should be: slow, peaceful, with only the sounds of nature to accompany you down the riverbend and back.
A trek through uncharted rocky trails leads you to unspoiled pool springs and waterfalls and gives you a thrill of discovery.
The town proper hums with small-town activity in the day. The municipio, though in the middle of repairs, is a hive of town servants going about their workaday tasks.
The farmers are working the land, the children are in school, the fishermen’s catch are in beds of ice in the wet market, or on a roro bound for Manila, and the retailers sell their goods ferried in from Batangas and Manila. It’s economic activity all right, but it needs a boost.
Change
Something is happening here. Change is coming – in a good way. A concerted public campaign to get everyone involved has begun.
Beyond the lure of using its physical beauty is a socio-culture development plan for a town that can finally stamp its identity on such products as vinegar, fish sauce and bagoong under the Mamburao brand.
Elma Tejada is in the mayor’s team as tourism officer, a Mambureño who came back after years of working abroad. She represents the new breed of movers who are not just waiting for development to happen, but are also taking charge of their future. She and a few others are slowly changing the face of Mamburao for the next generation.
The Mamburao Planning Evaluation Report made by an independent body of architects, planners and engineers, was a first step in this direction.
Mayor Anthony Villarosa says, “There must be a plan that will generate development to a higher stage and that will mean growth for Mamburao, so that its people will have higher incomes similar to their counterparts in developed towns and cities in the country. A strategy that will spread benefits to the people and bear fruits that will be sustainable over time. At the same time, I do not want a ‘Divisoria’ type of urban sprawl in Mamburao. Urban growth should be ordered and should happen as aesthetically as possible.”
It’s a call for all Mamburenyos to pitch in, so that it can find its place in the sun.
FACT FILE
Formerly called Mait, Mindoro was known to Chinese traders even before the coming of the Spanish.
In 1570, the Spanish began to explore the island and named it “Mina de Oro” (mine of gold) after finding some of the precious metal, though no major gold discoveries were ever made.
In the early years, Mindoro was administered as part of Bonbon, now Batangas. Early in the 17th century, the island was separated from Bonbon and organized into a corregimiento. Mindoro became a regular province in 1921.
On June 13, 1950, it was divided into two provinces, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro. The plains of Occidental Mindoro are inhabited by the Tagalogs and the remote forested interior by the Mangyans, who lead a semi-nomadic existence.
How to get there
1. From Manila by bus to Batangas pier (JAM, JAC and Tritran Terminals in Cubao or Buendia)
From Batangas pier to Abra de Ilog pier (two-hour roro vessel, Montenegro Shipping Lines)
Abra de Ilog pier to Mamburao (tricycle, jeepney)
2. From Manila by private car to Batangas pier (take SLEX and Star Tollway and exit at Balagtas, Batangas). Drive your car onto the ferry to Abra de Ilog pier.
Once in Abra de Ilog, head directly to Mamburao via the main national road (30 minutes).
3. Chartered plane lands in Mamburao airport (40 minutes’ flight from Manila to Mamburao)
By Glenna Aquino
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:43:00 03/15/2009
Filed Under: Travel & Commuting, Tourism
AFTER taking a Roro vessel from the Batangas pier, you reach Abra de Ilog, one of the entry points into Mamburao, capital of Mindoro Occidental.
Mindoro Occidental is the western part of the island province of Mindoro, south of Batangas.
The drive from the Abra de Ilog pier on the cement-paved Mindoro West Coast Road follows the ridge of high rolling mountains on one side and rice fields on the other, with intermittent glimpses of the Mindoro coast. It’s an arresting vista, but investors have yet to arrive.
Mamburao, though quite accessible, is relatively undiscovered. There are few tourist arrivals. Unlike rough and rowdy Puerto Galera, in neighboring Mindoro Oriental, Mamburao is laid-back. Almost as if it’s set in the ’60s, the sleepy town, like any community where farming and fishing are dominant, shuts down at dusk.
Occidental Mindoro is basically an agricultural province. Principal products are rice, coconut, peanut and abaca. The waters on its western coast comprise one of the most important fishing grounds in the country. But here, the sea and rice fields are still the fixed boundaries of a man’s life.
Reputation
While its natural, economic and political shortcomings, lack of trademark produce, and other problems have all added to its provincial backwater reputation, Mamburao is also a land unspoiled by mass tourism, where mountains drop to blue coastal waters, and sandy beaches lined with swaying palm trees.
It’s a setting that could be the next place for eco-tourism without the messy and amateurish planning of other destinations. It even has a good airport (now used by a flying school and for chartered planes), which adds to its tourist potential.
Mamburao has a long coastline of unpopulated sandy beaches in rustic surroundings, similar to those of small towns in the outer Hawaiian Islands. The abundance of its possibilities can be seen in a day it takes to drive around the town and back.
The landscape changes from grassy hillsides to green rice paddies, mangroves and flat savannah. Numerous rivers and tributaries flow from the mountains of Occidental Mindoro down to Mamburao and the neighboring towns.
A cruise down the Mamburao river is everything a river cruise should be: slow, peaceful, with only the sounds of nature to accompany you down the riverbend and back.
A trek through uncharted rocky trails leads you to unspoiled pool springs and waterfalls and gives you a thrill of discovery.
The town proper hums with small-town activity in the day. The municipio, though in the middle of repairs, is a hive of town servants going about their workaday tasks.
The farmers are working the land, the children are in school, the fishermen’s catch are in beds of ice in the wet market, or on a roro bound for Manila, and the retailers sell their goods ferried in from Batangas and Manila. It’s economic activity all right, but it needs a boost.
Change
Something is happening here. Change is coming – in a good way. A concerted public campaign to get everyone involved has begun.
Beyond the lure of using its physical beauty is a socio-culture development plan for a town that can finally stamp its identity on such products as vinegar, fish sauce and bagoong under the Mamburao brand.
Elma Tejada is in the mayor’s team as tourism officer, a Mambureño who came back after years of working abroad. She represents the new breed of movers who are not just waiting for development to happen, but are also taking charge of their future. She and a few others are slowly changing the face of Mamburao for the next generation.
The Mamburao Planning Evaluation Report made by an independent body of architects, planners and engineers, was a first step in this direction.
Mayor Anthony Villarosa says, “There must be a plan that will generate development to a higher stage and that will mean growth for Mamburao, so that its people will have higher incomes similar to their counterparts in developed towns and cities in the country. A strategy that will spread benefits to the people and bear fruits that will be sustainable over time. At the same time, I do not want a ‘Divisoria’ type of urban sprawl in Mamburao. Urban growth should be ordered and should happen as aesthetically as possible.”
It’s a call for all Mamburenyos to pitch in, so that it can find its place in the sun.
FACT FILE
Formerly called Mait, Mindoro was known to Chinese traders even before the coming of the Spanish.
In 1570, the Spanish began to explore the island and named it “Mina de Oro” (mine of gold) after finding some of the precious metal, though no major gold discoveries were ever made.
In the early years, Mindoro was administered as part of Bonbon, now Batangas. Early in the 17th century, the island was separated from Bonbon and organized into a corregimiento. Mindoro became a regular province in 1921.
On June 13, 1950, it was divided into two provinces, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro. The plains of Occidental Mindoro are inhabited by the Tagalogs and the remote forested interior by the Mangyans, who lead a semi-nomadic existence.
How to get there
1. From Manila by bus to Batangas pier (JAM, JAC and Tritran Terminals in Cubao or Buendia)
From Batangas pier to Abra de Ilog pier (two-hour roro vessel, Montenegro Shipping Lines)
Abra de Ilog pier to Mamburao (tricycle, jeepney)
2. From Manila by private car to Batangas pier (take SLEX and Star Tollway and exit at Balagtas, Batangas). Drive your car onto the ferry to Abra de Ilog pier.
Once in Abra de Ilog, head directly to Mamburao via the main national road (30 minutes).
3. Chartered plane lands in Mamburao airport (40 minutes’ flight from Manila to Mamburao)
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