The town of Puerto Galera is very rich in history as much as the province of Oriental Mindoro to which it belongs. The Spanish sea farers in the 16^th Century has given the name “Puerto Galera”, meaning “Port of Galleons”. These seafarers treated it as a safe haven on 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. 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.

There is also a more romantic belief 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 proves to be the basis for a lot of interesting folklore about the town.

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.

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.

Epigraphs referring to two historical landmarks have become tourist attractions in Puerto Galera : the commemoration Cross of Canonero De Mariveles and the Black Rice display-board, both at Muelle Pier.

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.

Aside from introducing tools to increase farm productivity, 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, handful 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.

For any modern traveler, 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.

The Batangas long brown sand beach are popular among local and foreign tourist alike. It’s clear waters ideal for water sports such as swimming, boating, yachting, fishing and skin diving. Along the shoreline are several summer cottages. Excursions are offered by local boatmen to resort island, an uninhabited isle off the coast. Batangas tourist can also experience a floating bamboo picnic huts anchored out over the reef, which is a good base for snorkeling and partying.

Matabungkay is touted as the finest beach around Manila. The package of having a beautiful sunset, white beach, and the provincial atmosphere made Matabungkay a drive-away beach destination for tourists coming from Manila. The area has little to offer other than swimming and watching the sunset but good enough for an inexpensive trip. Unlike other beaches, Matabungkay offers reasonable options for low-budget vacationers. Families who are unable to afford costly restaurants bring their barbeque sets and cook their food the way they want at the beach or at their rented open cottages. Others spend their day barbecuing on the shaded raft floating several meters off the shore. These floating sheds are rented out by villagers which they remark a purely Matabungkay way of picnicking. For upscale tourists, they can choose from luxurious resorts located along the right strip of the beach.

After a relaxing get away from Laguna, you can stop by at highway store and buy your love one’s pasalubong …. Buko Pie, it used to be one of my childhood’s guilty pleasures.

Colette’s, based in San Pablo City in the province of Laguna, they franchise their buko pie, so you can see them everywhere in the highway.

While the first buko pie master was D’Original Buko Pie which still sells the best buko pie, but you have to go at Los Baños in Laguna to buy it. There are rumors that Letty’s Buko Pie (SM Outlet) recipe is the same with them.

However, Collete’s was the first to experiment with various versions of buko pie. They introduced macapuno pie (made from a special strain of coconut that is sticky and thick) and ube-macapuno pie (a combination of macapuno and purple yam), mango pie, pineapple pie and among others. They also have espasol, bibikang cassava and pastillas de leche.