Occidental Mindoro is the Western half of Mindoro Island which is located off the coast of Batangas Province in Luzon Island in central Philippines. It is accessible by land from Oriental Mindoro or by air through the airports of Mamburao and San Jose. The northern and interior parts of the province are mostly hilly and mountainous but the coastal areas are mostly flat. Territories include the Lubang Island group in the north and the islands of Ilin and Ambulong in the south. Highest peak is the 2,487-meter Mount Baco. Climate is chracterized by two pronounced seasons: dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.

Occidental Mindoro Provincial Capitol

The people of Occidental Mindoro are mostly Tagalogs. The Mangyans are the original tribe and are now living in the mountains. There are also some migrant people from other cultural groups notably those from the Visayas.

1. Carlos Loyzaga - Famous basketball player from San Jose

Farming and fishing are the main livelihood of the people. Occidental Mindoro is one of the least developed provinces and poverty incidence stood at 57% in 2006, the 10th highest among provinces in the country. It has vast unirrigated agricultural lands which when developed can catapult the province into a major producer of farm crops. Its many rivers can be tapped to generate electricity and provide water for irrigation.

Agricultural production in 2007 are as follows (figure in thousand metric tons, rank among 79 provinces)

Animal inventory of Occidental Mindoro in 2007 are as follows (figure in thousand, rank among 79 provinces)

There are no large manufacturing plants in the province. Tourism is yet to be developed as an industry. In 2006, a total of 17 banks were operating in the province with total deposits of 1.9 billion pesos.

Production of high value commercial crops such as cacao, coffee, fruits, and vegetables and the processing thereof are promising ventures. Same for commercial cattle raising. A modern cold storage terminal should be put up. The abundant source of raw materials should provide for the development of a furniture industry. The province has many beaches, diving spots, and unexplored mountains calls for investment in tourism-related projects.

1. Mount Iglit-Baco National Park - home of the endangered buffalo called tamaraw
2. Apo Reef Marine Nature Park
3. North Pandan Island beach
4. Ambulong Island beach

Capitol photo credit to pinoyadventurista.com

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