Region 4B- MIMAROPA Region

CHAPTER 6

This chapter presents the major tourist destination areas in MIMAROPA Region. Major
discussions will be on access, health and safety issues, geographical characteristics, major
attractions, gastronomy, and distinctive cultural attributes of the region related to the
development and promotion of tourism in the Philippines.

Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. identify the different major attractions, activities, accommodations, and cultural highlights
in the provinces within the MIMAROPA Region;

2. create different tour packages that carry different types of tourism activities within the
region; and

3. assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the region in terms of
the 4 As of tourism.

Introduction

The region prides itself on exotic island provinces with rich flora and fauna. Quite
unassuming, the region can take a tourist's breath away with its natural beauty. The MIMAROPA
Region includes the provinces of:
● Marinduque;
● Occidental Mindoro;
● Oriental Mindoro;
● Palawan; and
● Romblon.
Fast Facts

Land Area No. No. of Towns

Capital (in Major Industries of and
hectares) Cities Municipalities

Marinduque Boac 95,258 Agriculture, Fishing, Handicraft, — 6

Trade

Occidental San Jose 586,571 Agriculture, Livestock, Trade, — 11

Mindoro Tourism

Oriental Calapan City 423,838 Agriculture, Tourism, Trade and 1 14

Mindoro Commerce

Palawan Puerto 1,703,075 Agriculture, Fishing, Logging, 1 23

Princesa City Trade, Tourism

Romblon Romblon 153,345 Agriculture, Livestock, and — 17

Poultry, Fishing, Mining (Marble)

A. Ports of Access

The provinces in the MIMAROPA Region are mostly island provinces except Occidental
and Oriental Mindoro. Since they are islands, primary access is by air or sea. An international
airport is available in Puerto Princesa City as the gateway to the world-famous islands in
Palawan.

● By Air: Puerto Princesa International Airport is the main gateway to the region both from
domestic and international destinations. Alternatively, domestic flights from Manila to
San Jose Airport in Occidental Mindoro and El Nido Airport in Palawan are serviced by
Cebu Pacific both for approximately an hour.
● By Sea: From Lucena City in Quezon, faster ferries are available going to Boac and
Mogpog in Marinduque. On the other hand, fast craft ferries are available from Batangas
port to Calapan and Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, San Jose and Abra de Ilog in
Occidental Mindoro, and Romblon. Moreover, Negros Navigation offers ferry trips from
Manila to Puerto Princesa once a week.

● Getting Around: Regular bus trips are available to roam around each island. Jeepneys
and tricycles are also available to travel between towns. Several fast craft ferries are
also available to move from one island to another.

B. Attractions and Activities

Historical, Cultural, and Natural Attractions Built Attractions

Heritage Attractions

Marinduque Boac Cathedral Poctoy Beach

Mt. Malindig

Balanacan Bay

Tres Reyes Islands

Malbog Sulfur Spring

Occidental Parola Park Apo Reef National Park Sablayan Zipline

Mindoro Adventure
Ambulong Island
Mamburao Beach
Ambil Island Resort

Pandan Grande Island

Siburan Forest

Mt. Iglit

White Island

Oriental Simbahang Bato Puerto Galera Beaches

Mindoro
Mangyan Hanunuo Tribe Tamaraw Falls
Settlement
Mt. Halcon
Kuta
Naujan Lake National
 The Cross at Muelle Park
Baluarte
Bulalacao Group of
Islands

Palawan Puerto de Sta. Isabel Puerto Princesa Palawan Crocodile

Subterranean River Farm
Cuyo Port National
Park Iwahig Prison and
Agutaya Fort Penal Farm
El Nido Marine Reserve
Melville Lighthouse Park Calauit Safari Park

Honda Bay

Coron Island

Tabon Cave

Tubbataha Reef Marine

Park

Ugong Rock

San Vicente

Maquinit Hot Spring

Romblon Fort San Andres and Crest de Gallo Islet Marble Shopping
Santiago Center
Looc Bay Marine
Romblon Cathedral Sanctuary

Bonbon Beach

Catingas River

C. Range of Accommodations

Budget Mid-Range High-End

(less than P1,500 (P1,500 to P3,00 per (at least P3,00 per
per night) night) night)

Marinduque Beach Club Cagpo Boac Hotel Bellarocca Island

Resort and Spa
Tahanan sa Isok Residencia de Palo
 Maria
Abby's Place

A & A Beach Resort

Lucky Seven Pension

House

Three Brothers

Occidental Mindoro Villa Ocampo Apo Reef Club

Resort
La Sofia Apartelle
Villa Paulina Beach
Adventure Camp Resort and Spa

Sikatuna Beach Hotel El Mora Boutique

Hotel
Mindoro Plaza Hotel
Sikatuna Beach Hotel
Mindoro Grand Hotel
Pandan Island Resort

Paradise Beach
Resort

La Gensol Plaza
Hotel

Oriental Mindoro Sabang Oasis Resort La Laguna Villas Buri Resort & Spa

Palangan Bayview The Manor at Puerto Coco Beach Island

Beach Resort Galera Resort

Montani Beach Tropicana Castle Verde View Villas

Resort Dive Resort
Sunset at Aninuan
Mountain Beach La Laguna Beach Beach Resort
Resort Club and Dive Center
Utopia Resort & Spa
Bellevue Cottages Bali Beach Resort
Infinity Resort
Casa Mia Resort Sunny Beach Resort

Tribal Hills Mountain

Resort

Palawan Fanta Lodge Coron Gateway Hotel Princesa Garden

and Suites Island Resort
Leonides Budget
 Hotel Ala Amid B&B Busuanga Bay Lodge

Villa Travelista Travel Coral Bay Beach and Huma Island Resort
Lodge Dive Resort
Cauayan Island
Dormitels PH El Nido Fersal Hotel Resort

Tapik Beach Park Aziza Paradise Hotel Astoria Palawan

Guest House Resort
Microtel by Wyndham
Jims Castle Inn Puerto Princesa Matinloc Resort

Coron Reed Pension Coron Underwater Sheridan Beach

Garden Resort Resort
Eden Travelers
Lodge Cooper's Beach Dos Palmas Island
Resort Resort
Gracia's Budget Inn
La Natura Resort Corto del Mar Hotel
Hanbees Garden
Pension House Club Paradise Resort

Romblon Lanas Beach Resort Binucot Beach Resort By The Sea Resort

Aglicay Beach Resort Marlin Bar Tabias Point Resort

Restaurant and
Caesar’s Lodging Accommodation Turtle Cove Island
Inns Resort
White Beach Dive
and Kite Resort -
Carabao

Morel’s Private Island

Resort

D. Food and Delicacies

 E. Recommended Pasalubong

● Uraro Cookies
● Lanzones
● Rambutan
● Banana Chips
● Dried Fish
● Cashew Nuts
● Fresh Water Pearls
● Shirts
● Handicrafts (keychains, baskets, bags, wallets, etc.)
● Wood Carving Products

F. Festivals and Special Events

Marinduque
● Moriones Festival - (Holy Week) is the most popular and unique cultural event depicting
Jesus Christ's passion and death. Its highlight is the promenade of grotesque "morions"
or colorful masked Roman soldiers around the town.

Occidental Mindoro
● Dugoy Festival - (January 18) to promote and celebrate the Dugoy spirit of camaraderie
among the people of Sablayan by showcasing street parades and street dancing.

● Saknungan Festival - (4th week of April) means Bayanihan, it is a thanksgiving festival

of San Jose for the blessings of the province and also to showcase the cultural heritage
of Mindoro's ethnic communities.

Oriental Mindoro
● MIMAROPA Festival - (November 9-15) a showcase to share the products and services
of the provinces of the MIMAROPA Region.

● Bahaghari Festival - (April 25) a thanksgiving festival for the guidance that He has
given to their ancestors when they were traveling to Mindoro and encountered a terrible
storm.

● Malasimbo Festival - (March 10-12) an international festival of music and arts.

● Banana Festival - (January 25) showcases the abundance of bananas in Mindoro by

featuring a variety of banana cuisines and products.
Palawan
● Baragatan sa Palawan - (3rd week of June) celebration of the foundation of the civil
government of Palawan.

● Kulambo Festival - (March 15-18) celebrated by the town of El Nido features a parade
and street dancing of townspeople wearing kulambo or mosquito nets.

● Anihan Festival - (last week of October) a thanksgiving festival for a bountiful harvest of
crops.

Romblon
● Biniray Festival - (January 9) a fluvial parade in the sea to celebrate the Santo Niño,
the image of the Holy Child Jesus.

● Kanidugan Festival - (April 5) in honor of the town's patron, Saint Vincent Ferrer, and to
also showcase the abundance of coconut trees and products of Odiongan.

G. Major Cultural Groups

Mangyans, Tagbanwas (sometimes spelled Tagbanua), and Tagalogs are major cultural
groups.

The Mangyans is a generic term that refers to the indigenous peoples of Mindoro island.
Different tribes have been listed including the Hanunoo, Buhid, Batangan, Ratagnon, Iraya,
Tadyawan, and Alangan. Mangyan settlements are composed of five to twelve houses with
single families located by the slopes near mountain streams named after the oldest member of
the tribe. Basic subsistence is shifting cultivation of corn and rice, inter-cropped with beans and
sugar cane, sweet potato, yam, and taro. They continue to use a native Indic-based script for
writing poetry using knives on slivers of bamboo.

The Tagbanwa is the most dominant ethnic group in Palawan. They are mostly found in
Coron, Aborlan, and Puerto Princesa. They are known for their highly involved ritual
pagdidiwata, held to celebrate different occasions such as a bountiful harvest and weddings.
They also still utilize their syllabic writing. Cassava is the preferred staple while rice is
considered ritual food. Fishing and hunting complement crop cultivation. Even if kinship is
recognized, there is a bias toward the matrilineal side in terms of residence after marriage such
that "in-law avoidance" is practiced.

The Tagalog has been described in Chapter 4. Its presence in different regions shows its
dispersal in the different regions as well as its big population.
 H. Major Industries
Agriculture is the major industry in the region. Occidental Mindoro's major products
include rice, corn, coconut, tobacco, garlic, onions, mangoes, banana, melon, and peanuts.
Fisheries and aquamarine products include salt, milkfish, prawn, tuna, octopus, and seaweed.
Mindoro Oriental's bulk of outward merchandise consists of rice, bananas, calamansi, livestock,
poultry, and fish products. Inward merchandise, on the other hand, consists mainly of petroleum
products, basic and prime commodities, consumer electronics, motor vehicles and parts, and
construction materials.

The main economic activities of Marinduque are agriculture and fishing. Root crop-based
products such as sweet potato and arrowroot grow abundantly in the province. In recent years,
the province has identified several key priority industries for promotion and development. Buntal
handloom woven products have been aggressively promoted here and abroad because these
products have been commanding better prices in any market because of their intricate weaves
and the obvious good amount of labor that went with them. In the food processing industry, root
crop-based products such as arrowroot and processed fish such as bagoong and patis have
also been promoted.

Romblon is famous around the world for its marble being one of the finest.
Coconut is the number one crop grown in the province with a total planted area of
58,345.50 hectares having 7,783,027 trees. Other crops grown in the province include bananas,
mango, star apple, root crops, vegetables, and other fruit trees. The fishing ground of Romblon
is a migratory path of fishes from Sulu and the Visayan Seas passing Tablas Strait, Sibuyan
Sea, and Romblon Pass. The mountains are also teeming with non-metallic minerals like kaolin
clay, nickel, magnesite, quartz, silica, mercury, zinc, copper, silver, laterite soil, limestone, and
sulfide ores. Several of these non-metallic minerals have been explored, such as nickel and
magnesium with a total mineral reserve of around 13 million metric tons.

Palawan has 176 fishing grounds which supply 65% of Metro Manila's fish consumption.
Existing products that Palawan is known for are fresh and dried fish, lamayo, fish fillet, smoked
fish, tuna cuts, spicy dilis, tuna sausage, tuna spring rolls, and delectable fish cuisine which are
served in hotels/restaurants. Other marine products produced and exported are live grouper and
seaweeds with an approximate production of 260,606 MT 9 fresh. Cashew is one of the
important crops locally processed into delicacies such as roasted, fried/salted, brittle, bandi,
pulvoron, barqueron, cashew wine, cashew prunes, and other delicacies with roasted whole
nuts as the major product. Raw cashew nuts are also shipped out to India, Pampanga, Manila,
and Antipolo cashew processors. Other crops produced are rice, corn, coconut, and mango. It
also has existing plantations of rubber and palm oil trees. It also produces ethnic handicrafts
being supplied to Manila-based exporters and as souvenir items for tourists in support of the
tourism industry.

Mining is another major industry in Palawan. There are large reserves of nickel.
 Palawan's natural gas and oil deposits are the largest in the country. Other mineral
deposits include chromite, copper, silica, marble, quicksilver, manganese, cement, uranium,
limestone, barite, feldspar, sand, gravel, pebbles, and guano.

I. Languages and Dialects Spoken

Filipino and English are the major languages. Dialects spoken in the region include
Kamangyan in Occidental and Oriental Mindoro while Ilonggo, Tausug, Batak, Tagbanua,
Palawanun, and Cuyunon are the dialects in Palawan.

Travel Trivia:
Six Subspecies of birds are endemic to Marinduque, namely, Amethyst Brown-dove
(Phapitreron amethystina imeldae), Blackish Cuckoo-shrike, White-browed Shama (Copsychus
luzoniensis shemleyi), Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis rufigastra marinduquensis),
Purple-throathed Sunbird (Nectarinia sperata marinduquensis), and Mountain White-eye
(Zosterops montanus gilli) (Ladares 2018).