Off the Unbeaten TrackEdward Adrian-Vallance's travel site

The Alangan Mangyan

The Alangan Mangyan who live inland of the coastal town of Sablayan on the Philippines’ island of Mindoro are probably the most traditional of the easily accessible Mangyan communities. Most communities still practice their traditional religion and a fair number still wear the loincloth.

The simplest way to visit the Alangan is to arrange a trek or a simple village stay through the Eco Tourism office in Sablayan. Turning up in any Mangyan villages on your own without a guide is not recommended, as people may be scared to see you and even run away.

You can get to Sablayan by evening if you leave Manila in the morning. Either get the bus from Manila to Batangas then the ferry to Abra de Ilog or, even better, Mamburao. From there public jeepneys and buses go to Sablayan. Alternatively fly from Manila to San Jose on Mindoro with Cebu Pacific then get public transport to Sablayan.

As mentioned on this website’s main Mindoro page, even in Sablayan you will likely see loincloth-clad Mangyans wandering the streets around the market on provision runs from their villages.

Sablayan is also the access point for the beautiful Pandan Island and Apo Reef. If you need to book a beach cabin on Pandan you should book in advance but if you have your own tent then there is no need. For Apo Reef a tent is essential but no advance booking as there is no accommodation on the island.

Click here for my blog about the Alangan Mangyan and National People’s Army. It’s 3226 words and 4 photos. See the bottom of this website’s Hanunoo Mangyan page for a link to another blog partly about the NPA.