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MANILA, Philippines – There’s more to Occidental Mindoro than the Tamaraws. Every 15th of November, the province is at its brightest, celebrating their founding anniversary through a celebration of unity among people of differences.
The six to seven-hour drive, including a ro-ro transport, from Manila is worth the travel after experiencing the out-of-city air, mind-calming landscapes, and the real warmth of rural festivities from the province.
Arawatan is a native term of the Hanunó’o Mangyan community of Mindoro, which connotes “unity” or “cooperation.” With the Arawatan Festival, not only are people being united but also the diverse culture, talents, and industries each of the 11 municipalities possess.
This year, the festival, held in the capital municipality of Mamburao, was themed, “Isang pagdiriwang ng katatagan, pagbangon, at pagpupunyagi sa mga hamon ng panahon.”
(A celebration of strength, resilience, and determination toward the challenges of time.)
Besides unifying its people, the festival mainly showcases its best asset among other Philippine provinces: agri-tourism. Even the highlight of the celebration is a pageant called Ginoo at Binibining Agri-turismo (Mr. and Ms. Agri-tourism).
Being both a Philippine top rice yielder and a home for natural tourist attractions, the province deemed itself to be a national center for the two industries.
Occidental Mindoro is the home of the Apo Reef, the world’s second largest contiguous coral reef, next to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. In the town of Sablayan, the country’s largest municipality by land area, you can also experience the world’s longest island-to-island zipline in Presing Park, locally known as Parola Park.
The half-a-month-long celebration was opened by a Tuna Biggest Catch challenge, wherein a catch of a 72-kilogram Yellowfin Tuna won the challenge from the host town. Yellowfin fishing is a major source of livelihood in the province. In 2018, Occidental Mindoro was eyed as the country’s sport fishing capital.
Other activities paraded Filipino festival classics, including the 4th Sagwanan (dragonboat) festival, folk dance competition, street dancing exhibition, and Parada ng Litson (parade of Lechón, a Philippine roasted whole pig).
You will also notice lots of Tamaraw figures in the festival. Tamaraws are dwarf buffalos, which are the country’s largest native land mammals endemic to Mindoro island. From around 10,000 in the 1900s, less than 500 Tamaraws can be seen in the island today.
One of the festival’s highlights is the annual Arawatan Agri-tourism Trade Fair, wherein each municipality installed their own creative, majestic booths exhibiting the indigenous products, art forms, and delicacies of local producers, farmers, and entrepreneurs in every town.
The town of Paluan brought the 1st runner-up title home for the Best Booth Competition. The municipality is known for its sweet Mindoreño-made dessert, the Aros Paluan, a delicious velvety cream delicacy made from carabao milk, sugar, and glutinous rice.
It wouldn’t be complete without Mangyan indigenous handicrafts and accessories displayed in front of the participating booths’ exhibits. Mangyan is an umbrella term referring to the eight indigenous communities and early inhabitants of the Mindoro island in the Philippines.
The municipality of Abra de Ilog, the gateway of the province, showcased Iraya Mangyan tribe’s handwoven baskets and bags, made from a forest vine called nito.
Even as the festival ends, you still can purchase Mangyan-made beaded necklaces, bracelets, wallets, and other indigenous handicrafts from Te And’s Handicrafts, an 18-year-old beaded accessories business in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
59-year-old shop owner Andrea Benoya told Rappler that she hires and trains Mangyan artisans in San Jose and Magsaysay to bead accessories with various designs. You can visit her main shop in Barangay Labangan, San Jose to witness the making of beaded bracelets by Mangyan artisans themselves. Her products are also available in Capitol Pasalubong Center, Mamburao.
After partying in the festival, snorkelers and divers can embark on a three-hour drive to Pandan Grande Island Marine Sanctuary in Sablayan to dive into an adventure with reef fishes and the underground beauty of marine life.
As you are already in the island, you can visit province’s own chocolate hills: Mount Zion in Sto. Niño, town of Rizal, where you can see the sky transform into a canvas of colors as the sun sets around 5 pm. – Rappler.com
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