Puerto Galera History - Puerto Galera Travel Information

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Puerto Galera History...

The Province of Oriental Mindoro to which it belongs, Puerto Galera is very rich in history. The literal translations of its name is "Port of Galleons", which it received from the Spanish seafarers in the 16th Century, who used it as a safe haven during their journeys to the Orient. However its history as a galleon trade destination dates as far back as the prosperous years of the 10th century. For any modern travel it is clear to see upon entering the Puerto Galera by boat why this was already a popular destination for merchant vessels hundreds of years ago. The excellent natural harbor - which even now is considered one of the most beautiful and safest in the world - has crystal clear waters and is fully protected from typhoons (the East Asian version of the hurricane) by the hills and mountains surrounding it. As trade developed, Puerto Galera became a regular stopover for merchant vessels sailing along the important trade routes of the near East and the rest of the Philippines. The Muelle Bay area - Indian coast, Indochinese coats, China, Sumatra, Java now part of town proper - was used extensively for dock repairs and as a safe anchorage for all types of sailing vessels. Here, too, a lot of merchant ships docked to trade with the natives.

Puerto Galera was such an important port that some historians even believe that the name "Mindoro" was derived from Minolo, one of Puerto Galera's old settlements. There are claims, too, that the 16th century references to Mindoro often only meant the harbor of Minolo. Also spelled Minoro, Minolo was a small coastal settlement northwest of Poblacion in present-day Puerto Galera. Then the center of trading, Chinese merchants bartered with the natives of Minolo, exchanging glazed porcelains for gold, jade, corals, shells, birds, rattan, and other forest products that were abundant in the island. An Excavation of an ancient grave site near Minolo lends proof to this. Antiques unearthed there were traced back to the 10th and 15th centuries, mainly from China, Thailand, and Vietnam. However, a more established and maybe more romantic belief is that the name "Mindoro" was derived from the Spanish "Mina de Oro" or Gold Mine. Whether the Spanish found a lot of gold on the island is not clearly know, although there are even on this day people who try to make their fortune by gold panning not so far from Puerto Galera. This belief surely for the base for a lot of interesting folklore.

By the 17th century, under its Spanish colonizers, the island of Mindoro was organized into a corrigimiento, with Puerto Galera as the capital. The seat of government remained there through the Spanish and American rules, until 1903. Then the capital was transferred to Calapan, which was geographically blessed with wide agricultural lands, and is now the present capital of Oriental Mindoro. Puerto Galera was annexed to Calapan as a barrio, or village. Finally, on December 7, 1927, the Philippine Congress passed an Act (Act 3415) creating the independent municipality of Puerto Galera.

When Puerto Galera was made the capital of Mindoro. It was originally located in Barrio Lagundian. But the frequent Moro (or southern Muslim) attacks forced the Spaniards not only to transfer the seat of government to its present site, but also to build watchtowers and station battleships outside Muelle Bay. One battleship that guarded the waters of Puerto Galera was the Canonero Mariveles, which sunk due to a violent storm in 1879. In remembrance of this battleship a wooden cross was built at Muelle Pier with the inscription: "Ultima tierra que pesarou los tripolantes del canoneros Mariveles el 18 de Noviembre de 1879". This relic of the 19th century was renovated by the Spaniard Luis Gomez y Sotto in 1938.

The Spaniards also built a rice granary in Puerto Galera to stash grains ready for shipment. This storage is believed to have caught fire in the late 18th century, and its large volume of palay (rice grain) was burned and tossed into the bay. It would seem logical that with the passing of the centuries the grain would have decomposed and completely vanished. However, to this day, handsful of whole charcoal-black rice grains continue to appear on the banks of Muelle Bay, mysteriously carried by the waves with the changing of the tide. A huge glass case at Muelle Pier near the tricycle terminal, displays some of this grain and a warning for visitors is included not to collect any of these grains in order to preserve one of the historical remnants of Puerto Galera.

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Puerto Galera Philippines, Puerto Galera Hotels, Puerto Galera Beach Resorts
Puerto Galera is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro. Puerto Galera is only three and a half hours away from Manila first by bus to the port at Batangas City and then by boat. Tourists can also take the tourist service called the Sikat, from the City State Tower Hotel in Manila from the Batangas City port to Puerto Galera or Sabang Beach, Mindoro.

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