TIM eMagazine Vol.3 Issue 8
Asia's oldest Pagatpat tree within its 11-hectare
mangrove forest in the main island.
If history, with all its stories and intrigue, is high
on one’s list a visit to Lubang Island is a must: it was
here where Japanese soldier, Hiroo Onoda, hid for
30 years after World War II and finally surrendered
as a prisoner of war in 1974. Another soldier, a
captain of the Japanese Imperial Army named
Fumio Nakahira, held out for another six years in
the forests of Mt. Halcon before being found in
1980. On the western coasts of Lubang, is Tagbac,
with over five kilometers of sandy beaches lined
with coconut trees.
Not to mention, Occidental Mindoro is home
to one of the country’s most unique species: the
Tamaraw. Efforts have also been made to preserve
this almost extinct species, thanks to the Tamaraw
Gene Pool Farm in the town of Rizal, where
one can view how these creatures, home
and sacred to Philippine culture, history and
mythology, are now being saved in their
distinct, natural habitat.
There are so much to see, do, and write
about the other attractions of Occidental
Mindoro. And while it may not have the
glitziest resorts or the most in place to party
while on holiday, the bare essentials that the
province takes pride in will truly guarantee
not a trip, but a journey that will make one
appreciate, and be at peace with the true
wonders of nature that remain so well-
preserved—and a shining example of what
sustainable tourism is all about.
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