First-time to volunteer vacation in Oriental Mindoro

The eastern side of the Mindoro Island, Oriental Mindoro that is, is known for the white sand beach at Puerto Galera. Apart from Boracay, it is one of the most sought-after destinations in the Philippines because of its proximity to the main island of Luzon. Despite its popularity, this writer, unfortunately, has not ventured anywhere this famous beach.

Yet, I was able to visit Calapan and San Teodoro town, about 45 minutes from Puerto Galera, through a volunteer vacation. I must say that I have never done a volunteer vacation before. Or, I wasn’t even aware I was doing a volunteer vacation. Having been in the development industry and the PR world in most of my career life, I have visited various places and done charity or advocacy work.

Lately, we went to San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro to help preserve the environment. Although I went with a group, I returned to Manila by myself and found myself enjoying the independence and the confidence of traveling, once again, alone.

From Manila, it takes about three hours, four if there is traffic, to Batangas port. There are many buses going to Batangas port and schedule is not difficult at all. From Batangas port, there’s a Supercat ferry, which takes 45 minutes to cross the sea to Mindoro Island, or the barge, which takes about an hour and a half. There are some excursionists who go to Mindoro by car, and taking the barge seems the most practical way to get there.

But for those who are going by bus, the fast craft is the most convenient way. Upon arrival at Calapan, there are tricycles plying around the city and you can ask the driver to take you to the jeepney station going to Tacligan or San Teodoro.

During our visit at San Teodoro, we stayed at Amor Beach Resort. It was a secured and semi-private place. The owner was very accommodating and the facilities are nice and well-equipped for a small town resort. The rooms are clean and well-maintained. Overnight stay ranges to about US$24-30. (You can check the site at http://www.flyphilippines.com.ph/mindoro/amorresort-info.html)

Because we were a big group, we were divided into two groups. One group went to the foot of Mount Halcon, one of the most challenging peaks in the Philippines. At the Forest Museum, the first group collated animal and plant species for study, set up traps for insects and rats that destroy the plants, and plant trees in some areas. Our volunteer travelers enjoyed not only the environmental activity but also took a short dip at the river.

I joined the second group, which planted mangrove trees at the coastline of San Teodoro. The town’s coast is threatened by erosion and the local government unit hopes to counter this through cultivating mangrove trees. We traversed a small river in a nipa palm plantation to get to our tree planting site.

After planting some trees, we went to a nearby beach with dark large rocks surrounded by warm water which seems to be springing from underground. It was a delightful way to end the day, dipping in warm sea water.

I missed the Mt. Halcon trek but I hope to go back there someday. I hope to create a bigger impact to the biodiversity of Oriental Mindoro. It’s great to travel and it’s great to know that I have left behind a legacy that future generations can benefit from.

This is part of the Lonely Planet Blogsherpa Blog Carnival #17 on “Feel Good Travel” hosted by See Simi. You can take a look at other articles included in the carnival in this page.