ABOUT CALAPAN
History of Calapan
Calapan came from the word “Kalap” which means to gather logs. It was originally pronounced as Kalapang which, according to an old Tagalog dictionary was a synonym for “sanga” or branch. It could then refer to the settlement of Kalapang as a branch of its mother town, the Municipality of Baco, which is adjacent to it. The name was later changed to Calapan.
Political and Cultural History:
The City of Calapan was founded as a parish in 1679 by a Spanish Augustinian Recollect priest, Fr. Diego dela Madre de Dios. Human settlements were established around the parish church which later became the beginning of a small town.
The District convent was transferred to Calapan in 1733 and began its jurisdiction over the Northern Mindoro Ecclesiastical Area.
In the early 18th century, the town occupied only a strip of land stretching from Ibaba to Ilaya in a cross – formed facing the present church and cut-off by a river. In the course of the century, succeeding barrios were founded.
In 1837, the capital of the province was moved from Puerto Galera to Calapan. When Mindoro became a part of Marinduque on June 13, 1902, under Act. No. 423, the capital of Mindoro was transferred to Puerto Galera under the Law. It was re-transferred to Calapan in 1903 for geographical and transportation purposes.
When Mindoro was detached from Marinduque on November 10, 1902, Baco, Puerto Galera and San Teodoro were annexed to Calapan in 1905 under Act. 1280, adding a total area of 843 sq. km. of land. In 1902, under Act 2824, the three (3) municipalities gained their independence.
In 1919, the boundary dispute between Calapan and Naujan was adjudicated by Presidentes Agustin Quijano of Calapan and Agustin Garong of Naujan over a portion of the territory of what is now known as the present boundary. The portion of agricultural area was awarded to Naujan, thus, making the area of Calapan much smaller as compared to that of Naujan which is now considered as the biggest municipality of the province.
At present, Calapan has an area of only 250.06 sq. km (according to Land Management Bureau). It has also jurisdiction over the three (3) Baco Islets on the Calapan Bay and the two (2) Silonay Islets.
The City of Calapan has been transformed as a component city on March 21, 1998. Its conversion was based on Republic Act 8475, enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on February 2, 1998. In a plebiscite held on March 21, 1998, majority of Calapeños ratified the conversion of Calapan into a city. It is the first and only city in the province of Oriental Mindoro.
Ten years after, the City of Calapan has been transformed from a newly created component city into creating its own identity as “The Discipline City of the MIMAROPA Region”. The City of Calapan has implemented simple but effective innovations that highlight the great value of discipline. All of these are made possible by the “Aksyon Agad Peoples Agenda” through the initiative of the City Government, the private sector and other line agencies.
Ethnic Origin of the People:
Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous peoples (IP) groups found in the mountainous regions of Mindoro island—the Alangan, Bangon, Buhid, Hanunuo, Iraya, Ratagnon, Tadyawan and Tau-buid, a combined population of 100,000.
The Mangyan Tribes:
ALANGAN. The Alangan Mangyans are found within the municipalities of Naujan, Baco, San Teodoro, and Victoria in Oriental Mindoro, and in the municipality of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro. The name Alangan was derived from the name of a river and mountain slopes in the upper Alangan Valley.
BANGON. The Bangon Mangyans are found along the Bongabon river called Binagaw and the surrounding mountains located within the municipalities of Bongabong, Bansud, and Gloria in Oriental Mindoro. The Bangon Mangyans have their own culture and language different from the other 6 major Mangyan tribes in Oriental Mindoro and also their writing system. Hence, the Bangons have asserted that they be considered as the 7th major Mangyan tribe not as a sub-tribe of the Tau-buid Mangyans. On March 28, 1996 in a meeting in Ogom Liguma together with Buhid Mangyans, they decided to accept the word Bangon for their tribe.
TAU-BUID. The Tau-buids are known as pipe smokers and even children begin smoking at a young age. The Taubuid Mangyans are found within the municipalities of Socorro, Pinamalayan and Gloria, but mostly they live in Occidental Mindoro.
BUHID. The Buhids are known as pot makers. Other Mangyan tribes, like the Alangan and Hanunoo Mangyans used to buy their cooking pots from the Buhids. The word Buhid literally means mountain dwellers. The Buhid Mangyans are found within the municipalities of Roxas, Bansud, Bongabong and some parts of Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro, and in the municipalities of San Jose and Rizal in Occidental Mindoro.
HANUNUO. The Hanunuo Mangyans live in the towns of Bulalacao, Mansalay and some parts of Bongabong in Oriental Mindoro, and in the town of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro. They, like the Buhids and Hanunuo-Mangyans, possess a pre-Spanish writing system, considered to be of Indic origin, with characters, expressing the open syllables of the language. This syllabic writing system, called Surat Mangyan, is still being taught in several Mangyan schools in Mansalay and Bulalacao.
IRAYA. The Iraya is the tribe who lives in the beaches of Puerto Galera, San Teodoro and Baco in Oriental Mindoro. However, most of them live in Occidental Mindoro, in the towns of Mamburao, Sta. Cruz, Abra de Ilog and Paluan. Their steady diet consists of rice, banana, sweet potato, and other root crops.
RATAGNON. Most of the Ratagnons live in Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro. Like the Bangons, the Ratagnons have a unique language that is similar to the Cuyunon dialect that is spoken by the people who live in Cuyo Island in the northern part of Palawan. They also wear accessories made of beads and copper wire.
TADYAWAN. The Tadyawan Mangyans live in the towns of Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, Pola, Gloria, Pinamalayan, and Bansud. Their ancient clothing is similar to other Mangyan tribes. Most of them used to wear accessories like bracelets and necklaces made of beads. But today, most of the Irayas wear a civilized outfit. The Tadyawan, like the other Mangyan tribes, depend on swidden farming. And like the Irayas, their steady diet consists of rice, banana, sweet potato, and other root crops.
Distinctive Heritage
Mangyans, with eight different languages and cultural traditions, possess a rich and distinctive cultural and literary heritage. One manifestation is the various traditional musical instruments used during festivities, special occasions and for courting: guitar, violin, flute, gong, and jew’s-harp.
With a pointed knife, Hanunuo Mangyans inscribe notes and poems on bamboo trees in the forests or on bamboo slats. These ambahans—written or recited in poetic language—allegorically express situations or characteristics. They also have an alphabet which is called the Ambahan.
The Hanunuo and Buhid Mangyans weave and embroider their own traditional attire. The Iraya and Alangan Mangyans skillfully weave nito and rattan into elaborate baskets. The other groups also produce baskets, bags, hats, hammocks and other crafts made of forest vines, and all the eight tribes practice beadwork. These are a main source of their livelihood.
Mangyans plant upland rice, corn, beans, bananas and root crops using swidden farming done in total reverence for the environment.
Mangyans have strongly retained their cultural identity. Much of their traditions and beliefs are still in practice, despite for some who converted to Christianity. Intermarriage with non-Mangyans appears to be limited in number.
The Mangyans, considered as the first inhabitants of the island of Mindoro, believe that “land is life” and from it emanates their distinct and rich culture.
Unfortunately they do not have security of land tenure. Their unrecognized traditional right over their ancestral domain is evident in the continuous influx of the so-called government development projects. Private business interests have also harassed them: mining, tourism, hydro-power, and even reforestation. Illegal titling of lands by lowlanders still proliferates.
The implementation of these projects often undermines their culture and traditional right to protect, manage and utilize the resources in their ancestral domain. More important, the Mangyans have lost their land to these projects.
Mangyan settlements are mostly found in the interior, mountainous region of Mindoro, in land classified by the government as Forest Zone and Public Domain.
The Mangyans’ subsistence-level livelihood is based on swidden cultivation: planting upland rice, sweet potatoes, corn, beans, bananas, cassava, yams and other root crops.
The few with low-lying farmland in irrigated areas have ventured into lowland farming, planting cash crops and permanent crops, particularly fruit trees. Some gather vines and firewood.
Most Mangyan settlements are not accessible by road. Rivers that overflow during the rainy season cause settlements to be separated from each other which often cut off direct access to government social services like education and health.
Out of the 110 indigenous peoples (IP) groups in the country today, only four still use their original scripts. Other ethno-linguistic groups now write in the Roman alphabet of the colonizers.
The endangered script of the Hanunuo and Buhid Mangyans from Mindoro, and of the Tagbanua and Palawan tribes from Palawan were declared National Cultural Treasures in 1997, and were inscribed in the Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Memory of the World Register in 1999.
However, the Hanunuo Mangyan script is very much alive and being taught in Hanunuo Mangyan schools.
Sources: Inquirer: The Mangyans of Mindoro by: Agusto Villalon 3/26/2007 and WikiPilipinas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangyan
Oriental Mindoro History
The island of Mindoro was mentioned in some Chinese Chronicles as the land “Ma’I” where Ma’I residents were believed to be trading with merchants from other parts of archipelago and Southeast Asia.
The Spaniards visited the island in 1570 and established a settlement in Puerto Galera. The port in Puerto Galera has become an important median for galleons proceeding to and from Mexico. Mindoro became part of Batangas until the early 17th century and became part of Marinduque in June 1902. It was proclaimed a special province in November 1902 untiL it became a regular province through Republic Act No. 2964 on February 20,1921. On June 13, 1950, by virtue of RA 505, the Mindoro province was separated into Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.
Location,Geography and Climate
Oriental Mindoro is the eastern portion of the island which is about 140 kms southwest of Manila. It is bounded by the Verde Island Passage in the north, Marinduque, Concepcion, Romblon, and tablas strait in the east, Semirara and Antique in the South and Occidental Mindoro in the west.
The province is composed of 14 municipalities and one component city. CalapanCity is the only city and the capital of Oriental Mindoro.
Climate: Oriental Mindoro’s climate favors for vegetable growth all year round. There is no pronounce wet and dry season for the province.
Total Land Area (as of 2006): 436,472 hectares
Alienable and Disposable Land Area: 222,895 has
Total Forest Land: 213,577 has
Demography
Population: 785,602
Population Density: 185
Population Growth Rate (1990-2010): 1.80
Vital Statistics
Births:
Marriages:
Death: 3,192
Crude Birth Rate:
Crude Death Rate: 3.6
Crime
Crime Volume (2011): 627
Index Crime (2011): 396
Non-Index Crime (2011): 231
Ave. Monthly Crime Rate (2011): 7.1
Education
Literacy Rate
Elementary: 90.5%
High School: 92.5%
Employment
Unemployment Rate(2009): 4.5
Employment Rate(2009): 95.5
Underemployment Rate(2009): 26.3
Income
Income Classification: First Class
Income Gap(2009):26.8
Poverty Gap(2009): 7.0
Severity of Poverty(2009): 2.6
Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold(2009): 16,480
Magnitude of Poor Families(2009): 45,876
Poverty Incidence among Families(2009): 24 %
Food Threshold(2009): 11,546
Magnitude of Subsistence Poor Families(2009):16,300
Subsistence Among Families(2009): 9.2%
IRA (2009) hp 686, 100,000
Agriculture
Top Five Agricultural Crops:
Palay: 360,400 metric tons
Banana: 158,472.32
Coconut: 126,006.30
Calamansi: 104,416.27
Cassava: 1,903.54
Top 3 Livestock
Chicken: 511,733
Carabao:
Cattle
Infrastructure
Public Transportation
Land
Tricycle and jeepneys are the main modes of transportation in Calapan City while several buses, jeeps and shuttle vans are being offered on a regular trip. Habal-Habal or motorcycle are being used as mode of transport in some places.
The establishment of Strong Republic Nautical Highway(SRNH), a road network of 919 kilometers of Manila-Iligan via Dapitan runs along mainland Luzon, Oriental Mindoro, Panay, Negros and Mindanao provided opportunity for the province to interconnect with the major islands of the country via Roll- on- Roll- off (RORO) and fast crafts.
The 129 kilometer road stretch from Calapan City to Roxas, (the gateway to Southern Philippines) and the extension of50.4 kilometers of road from Roxas to Bulalacao passing through the Municipality of Mansalay has been the gateway for Visayas in the past few years.
The National road is connected with the provincial and municipal roads leading to interior barangays which serve as passage of commuters and commodities. There is also circumferential road of 29 kilometers from Bulalacao to San Jose Occidental Mindoro which is the conduit in the mobility of passengers and transport of marine and agricultural products for both provinces. As of 2010, 224.225 kms is concreted, 71.13kms are asphalt while the remaining 32.742 is paved with gravel.
Sea
Calapan and Roxas Ports are the two major ports of Oriental Mindoro. Other government ports are located in Pola, BulalacaoandMansalay while PuertoGalera has two ports. Pinamalayan and Bansud each has its own ports. Calapan Port providesvenue for the transport of cargoes and passengers to Metro Manila and other provinces in Luzon via Batangas port, with 32 daily round trips. Said port is equipped with berthing areas for fast craft, conventional and Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) vessels, passenger terminal shed and a Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) with complete amenities. For out bounded cargoes, rice, banana, fruits, citrus and other agricultural products are handled by the port, as well as inbound cargoes like cement, fertilizers and general commodities.
Four shipping companies, namely: Starlite Ferry Inc., Montenegro Shipping Lines, Besta Shipping Lines, andSupercat Fast Ferry Corporation regularly ply theBatangas – Calapan route and vice-versa.The average travel time from Batangas to Calapan is 2 ½ to 3 hours by RoRo vessel and one hour through fast craft. The average travel time fromBatangas to Puerto Galera takes one hour by motorized banca.
Puerto Galera has four jetty/service ports – Balatero, Muelle, Sabang and Minolo, which serve as docking areas for motorized boats ferrying tourists from Batangas Port. Mansalay and Bulalacao, being the province’s two largest fish-producing municipalities have fish ports linking the province to Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Antique, Taboron Island, and Semirara Island. Pola Port has an existing operations building and is once utilized for the transport of banana, copra, charcoal to the nearby municipalities and Manila in the past.
Air
Three airports have been established in Oriental Mindoro but are currently non-operational. The Calapan Airportwhich usedmainly for general aviation and is being utilized as a training ground for flying schools based in Manila and to charter private individuals, government officials and investors.
Pinamalayan Airport has been non-operational although equippedwith watch tower, administrative building, concrete runway,fire truck and service vehicle. This facility operates in emergencycases on situations.WasigAirport in Mansalay is non-operationalexceptduring emergency situations.
Tourism Destination
Tourism Area for Development based on the RDP
• Lake Naujan
• Mount Halcon
• Bulalacao
• Pinamalayan
• Mangyan Crafts Village and Living Museum
Excerpts from rdcmimaropa.gov.ph/oriental-mindoro
History of Calapan
Calapan came from the word “Kalap” which means to gather logs. It was originally pronounced as Kalapang which, according to an old Tagalog dictionary was a synonym for “sanga” or branch. It could then refer to the settlement of Kalapang as a branch of its mother town, the Municipality of Baco, which is adjacent to it. The name was later changed to Calapan.
Political and Cultural History:
The City of Calapan was founded as a parish in 1679 by a Spanish Augustinian Recollect priest, Fr. Diego dela Madre de Dios. Human settlements were established around the parish church which later became the beginning of a small town.
The District convent was transferred to Calapan in 1733 and began its jurisdiction over the Northern Mindoro Ecclesiastical Area.
In the early 18th century, the town occupied only a strip of land stretching from Ibaba to Ilaya in a cross – formed facing the present church and cut-off by a river. In the course of the century, succeeding barrios were founded.
In 1837, the capital of the province was moved from Puerto Galera to Calapan. When Mindoro became a part of Marinduque on June 13, 1902, under Act. No. 423, the capital of Mindoro was transferred to Puerto Galera under the Law. It was re-transferred to Calapan in 1903 for geographical and transportation purposes.
When Mindoro was detached from Marinduque on November 10, 1902, Baco, Puerto Galera and San Teodoro were annexed to Calapan in 1905 under Act. 1280, adding a total area of 843 sq. km. of land. In 1902, under Act 2824, the three (3) municipalities gained their independence.
In 1919, the boundary dispute between Calapan and Naujan was adjudicated by Presidentes Agustin Quijano of Calapan and Agustin Garong of Naujan over a portion of the territory of what is now known as the present boundary. The portion of agricultural area was awarded to Naujan, thus, making the area of Calapan much smaller as compared to that of Naujan which is now considered as the biggest municipality of the province.
At present, Calapan has an area of only 250.06 sq. km (according to Land Management Bureau). It has also jurisdiction over the three (3) Baco Islets on the Calapan Bay and the two (2) Silonay Islets.
The City of Calapan has been transformed as a component city on March 21, 1998. Its conversion was based on Republic Act 8475, enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on February 2, 1998. In a plebiscite held on March 21, 1998, majority of Calapeños ratified the conversion of Calapan into a city. It is the first and only city in the province of Oriental Mindoro.
Ten years after, the City of Calapan has been transformed from a newly created component city into creating its own identity as “The Discipline City of the MIMAROPA Region”. The City of Calapan has implemented simple but effective innovations that highlight the great value of discipline. All of these are made possible by the “Aksyon Agad Peoples Agenda” through the initiative of the City Government, the private sector and other line agencies.
Ethnic Origin of the People:
Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous peoples (IP) groups found in the mountainous regions of Mindoro island—the Alangan, Bangon, Buhid, Hanunuo, Iraya, Ratagnon, Tadyawan and Tau-buid, a combined population of 100,000.
The Mangyan Tribes:
ALANGAN. The Alangan Mangyans are found within the municipalities of Naujan, Baco, San Teodoro, and Victoria in Oriental Mindoro, and in the municipality of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro. The name Alangan was derived from the name of a river and mountain slopes in the upper Alangan Valley.
BANGON. The Bangon Mangyans are found along the Bongabon river called Binagaw and the surrounding mountains located within the municipalities of Bongabong, Bansud, and Gloria in Oriental Mindoro. The Bangon Mangyans have their own culture and language different from the other 6 major Mangyan tribes in Oriental Mindoro and also their writing system. Hence, the Bangons have asserted that they be considered as the 7th major Mangyan tribe not as a sub-tribe of the Tau-buid Mangyans. On March 28, 1996 in a meeting in Ogom Liguma together with Buhid Mangyans, they decided to accept the word Bangon for their tribe.
TAU-BUID. The Tau-buids are known as pipe smokers and even children begin smoking at a young age. The Taubuid Mangyans are found within the municipalities of Socorro, Pinamalayan and Gloria, but mostly they live in Occidental Mindoro.
BUHID. The Buhids are known as pot makers. Other Mangyan tribes, like the Alangan and Hanunoo Mangyans used to buy their cooking pots from the Buhids. The word Buhid literally means mountain dwellers. The Buhid Mangyans are found within the municipalities of Roxas, Bansud, Bongabong and some parts of Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro, and in the municipalities of San Jose and Rizal in Occidental Mindoro.
HANUNUO. The Hanunuo Mangyans live in the towns of Bulalacao, Mansalay and some parts of Bongabong in Oriental Mindoro, and in the town of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro. They, like the Buhids and Hanunuo-Mangyans, possess a pre-Spanish writing system, considered to be of Indic origin, with characters, expressing the open syllables of the language. This syllabic writing system, called Surat Mangyan, is still being taught in several Mangyan schools in Mansalay and Bulalacao.
IRAYA. The Iraya is the tribe who lives in the beaches of Puerto Galera, San Teodoro and Baco in Oriental Mindoro. However, most of them live in Occidental Mindoro, in the towns of Mamburao, Sta. Cruz, Abra de Ilog and Paluan. Their steady diet consists of rice, banana, sweet potato, and other root crops.
RATAGNON. Most of the Ratagnons live in Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro. Like the Bangons, the Ratagnons have a unique language that is similar to the Cuyunon dialect that is spoken by the people who live in Cuyo Island in the northern part of Palawan. They also wear accessories made of beads and copper wire.
TADYAWAN. The Tadyawan Mangyans live in the towns of Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, Pola, Gloria, Pinamalayan, and Bansud. Their ancient clothing is similar to other Mangyan tribes. Most of them used to wear accessories like bracelets and necklaces made of beads. But today, most of the Irayas wear a civilized outfit. The Tadyawan, like the other Mangyan tribes, depend on swidden farming. And like the Irayas, their steady diet consists of rice, banana, sweet potato, and other root crops.
Distinctive Heritage
Mangyans, with eight different languages and cultural traditions, possess a rich and distinctive cultural and literary heritage. One manifestation is the various traditional musical instruments used during festivities, special occasions and for courting: guitar, violin, flute, gong, and jew’s-harp.
With a pointed knife, Hanunuo Mangyans inscribe notes and poems on bamboo trees in the forests or on bamboo slats. These ambahans—written or recited in poetic language—allegorically express situations or characteristics. They also have an alphabet which is called the Ambahan.
The Hanunuo and Buhid Mangyans weave and embroider their own traditional attire. The Iraya and Alangan Mangyans skillfully weave nito and rattan into elaborate baskets. The other groups also produce baskets, bags, hats, hammocks and other crafts made of forest vines, and all the eight tribes practice beadwork. These are a main source of their livelihood.
Mangyans plant upland rice, corn, beans, bananas and root crops using swidden farming done in total reverence for the environment.
Mangyans have strongly retained their cultural identity. Much of their traditions and beliefs are still in practice, despite for some who converted to Christianity. Intermarriage with non-Mangyans appears to be limited in number.
The Mangyans, considered as the first inhabitants of the island of Mindoro, believe that “land is life” and from it emanates their distinct and rich culture.
Unfortunately they do not have security of land tenure. Their unrecognized traditional right over their ancestral domain is evident in the continuous influx of the so-called government development projects. Private business interests have also harassed them: mining, tourism, hydro-power, and even reforestation. Illegal titling of lands by lowlanders still proliferates.
The implementation of these projects often undermines their culture and traditional right to protect, manage and utilize the resources in their ancestral domain. More important, the Mangyans have lost their land to these projects.
Mangyan settlements are mostly found in the interior, mountainous region of Mindoro, in land classified by the government as Forest Zone and Public Domain.
The Mangyans’ subsistence-level livelihood is based on swidden cultivation: planting upland rice, sweet potatoes, corn, beans, bananas, cassava, yams and other root crops.
The few with low-lying farmland in irrigated areas have ventured into lowland farming, planting cash crops and permanent crops, particularly fruit trees. Some gather vines and firewood.
Most Mangyan settlements are not accessible by road. Rivers that overflow during the rainy season cause settlements to be separated from each other which often cut off direct access to government social services like education and health.
Out of the 110 indigenous peoples (IP) groups in the country today, only four still use their original scripts. Other ethno-linguistic groups now write in the Roman alphabet of the colonizers.
The endangered script of the Hanunuo and Buhid Mangyans from Mindoro, and of the Tagbanua and Palawan tribes from Palawan were declared National Cultural Treasures in 1997, and were inscribed in the Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Memory of the World Register in 1999.
However, the Hanunuo Mangyan script is very much alive and being taught in Hanunuo Mangyan schools.
Sources: Inquirer: The Mangyans of Mindoro by: Agusto Villalon 3/26/2007 and WikiPilipinas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangyan
Oriental Mindoro History
The island of Mindoro was mentioned in some Chinese Chronicles as the land “Ma’I” where Ma’I residents were believed to be trading with merchants from other parts of archipelago and Southeast Asia.
The Spaniards visited the island in 1570 and established a settlement in Puerto Galera. The port in Puerto Galera has become an important median for galleons proceeding to and from Mexico. Mindoro became part of Batangas until the early 17th century and became part of Marinduque in June 1902. It was proclaimed a special province in November 1902 untiL it became a regular province through Republic Act No. 2964 on February 20,1921. On June 13, 1950, by virtue of RA 505, the Mindoro province was separated into Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.
Location,Geography and Climate
Oriental Mindoro is the eastern portion of the island which is about 140 kms southwest of Manila. It is bounded by the Verde Island Passage in the north, Marinduque, Concepcion, Romblon, and tablas strait in the east, Semirara and Antique in the South and Occidental Mindoro in the west.
The province is composed of 14 municipalities and one component city. CalapanCity is the only city and the capital of Oriental Mindoro.
Climate: Oriental Mindoro’s climate favors for vegetable growth all year round. There is no pronounce wet and dry season for the province.
Total Land Area (as of 2006): 436,472 hectares
Alienable and Disposable Land Area: 222,895 has
Total Forest Land: 213,577 has
Demography
Population: 785,602
Population Density: 185
Population Growth Rate (1990-2010): 1.80
Vital Statistics
Births:
Marriages:
Death: 3,192
Crude Birth Rate:
Crude Death Rate: 3.6
Crime
Crime Volume (2011): 627
Index Crime (2011): 396
Non-Index Crime (2011): 231
Ave. Monthly Crime Rate (2011): 7.1
Education
Literacy Rate
Elementary: 90.5%
High School: 92.5%
Employment
Unemployment Rate(2009): 4.5
Employment Rate(2009): 95.5
Underemployment Rate(2009): 26.3
Income
Income Classification: First Class
Income Gap(2009):26.8
Poverty Gap(2009): 7.0
Severity of Poverty(2009): 2.6
Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold(2009): 16,480
Magnitude of Poor Families(2009): 45,876
Poverty Incidence among Families(2009): 24 %
Food Threshold(2009): 11,546
Magnitude of Subsistence Poor Families(2009):16,300
Subsistence Among Families(2009): 9.2%
IRA (2009) hp 686, 100,000
Agriculture
Top Five Agricultural Crops:
Palay: 360,400 metric tons
Banana: 158,472.32
Coconut: 126,006.30
Calamansi: 104,416.27
Cassava: 1,903.54
Top 3 Livestock
Chicken: 511,733
Carabao:
Cattle
Infrastructure
Public Transportation
Land
Tricycle and jeepneys are the main modes of transportation in Calapan City while several buses, jeeps and shuttle vans are being offered on a regular trip. Habal-Habal or motorcycle are being used as mode of transport in some places.
The establishment of Strong Republic Nautical Highway(SRNH), a road network of 919 kilometers of Manila-Iligan via Dapitan runs along mainland Luzon, Oriental Mindoro, Panay, Negros and Mindanao provided opportunity for the province to interconnect with the major islands of the country via Roll- on- Roll- off (RORO) and fast crafts.
The 129 kilometer road stretch from Calapan City to Roxas, (the gateway to Southern Philippines) and the extension of50.4 kilometers of road from Roxas to Bulalacao passing through the Municipality of Mansalay has been the gateway for Visayas in the past few years.
The National road is connected with the provincial and municipal roads leading to interior barangays which serve as passage of commuters and commodities. There is also circumferential road of 29 kilometers from Bulalacao to San Jose Occidental Mindoro which is the conduit in the mobility of passengers and transport of marine and agricultural products for both provinces. As of 2010, 224.225 kms is concreted, 71.13kms are asphalt while the remaining 32.742 is paved with gravel.
Sea
Calapan and Roxas Ports are the two major ports of Oriental Mindoro. Other government ports are located in Pola, BulalacaoandMansalay while PuertoGalera has two ports. Pinamalayan and Bansud each has its own ports. Calapan Port providesvenue for the transport of cargoes and passengers to Metro Manila and other provinces in Luzon via Batangas port, with 32 daily round trips. Said port is equipped with berthing areas for fast craft, conventional and Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) vessels, passenger terminal shed and a Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) with complete amenities. For out bounded cargoes, rice, banana, fruits, citrus and other agricultural products are handled by the port, as well as inbound cargoes like cement, fertilizers and general commodities.
Four shipping companies, namely: Starlite Ferry Inc., Montenegro Shipping Lines, Besta Shipping Lines, andSupercat Fast Ferry Corporation regularly ply theBatangas – Calapan route and vice-versa.The average travel time from Batangas to Calapan is 2 ½ to 3 hours by RoRo vessel and one hour through fast craft. The average travel time fromBatangas to Puerto Galera takes one hour by motorized banca.
Puerto Galera has four jetty/service ports – Balatero, Muelle, Sabang and Minolo, which serve as docking areas for motorized boats ferrying tourists from Batangas Port. Mansalay and Bulalacao, being the province’s two largest fish-producing municipalities have fish ports linking the province to Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Antique, Taboron Island, and Semirara Island. Pola Port has an existing operations building and is once utilized for the transport of banana, copra, charcoal to the nearby municipalities and Manila in the past.
Air
Three airports have been established in Oriental Mindoro but are currently non-operational. The Calapan Airportwhich usedmainly for general aviation and is being utilized as a training ground for flying schools based in Manila and to charter private individuals, government officials and investors.
Pinamalayan Airport has been non-operational although equippedwith watch tower, administrative building, concrete runway,fire truck and service vehicle. This facility operates in emergencycases on situations.WasigAirport in Mansalay is non-operationalexceptduring emergency situations.
Tourism Destination
Tourism Area for Development based on the RDP
• Lake Naujan
• Mount Halcon
• Bulalacao
• Pinamalayan
• Mangyan Crafts Village and Living Museum
Excerpts from rdcmimaropa.gov.ph/oriental-mindoro
FARE GUIDE
(Subject to change without prior notice)
(Subject to change without prior notice)
SUPERCAT 2GO - visit http://www.supercat.com.ph/fare.asp
FASTCAT FERRY - visit http://www.fastcat.com.ph/archipelago-passenger-rate
FASTCAT FERRY - visit http://www.fastcat.com.ph/archipelago-passenger-rate