Bea Zobel nurtures the Mangyan community

MANILA, Philippines - The indigenous peoples of the island of Mindoro are collectively known as Mangyans. There are eight Mangyan ethnic groups and one of them is the Iraya-Mangyan group. In Puerto Galera alone, as many as 200 Iraya-Mangyan families live at the foot of Mount Malasimbo, Sitio Talipanan.

Since 1989, Ayala Foundation with the help of Bea Zobel has been implementing numerous projects for the Iraya-Mangyan community in Puerto Galera. The program covers education, livelihood development, housing management, and health.

One of Ayala Foundation’s main projects is education, which has helped Iraya-Mangyan beneficiaries to become more active participants in and productive members of their community. This effort to bring them to the mainstream of Philippine society through education has produced a number of successful graduates like licensed teachers and community workers, and who are now doing their part in helping their fellow Iraya-Mangyans.

In the field of livelihood, Iraya-Mangyans is reviving their tradition of weaving, particularly in the creation of beautiful but functional nito baskets. The Foundation also provides training in dressmaking, beading, masonry, electrical wiring and agriculture, among others.

Through the generosity of private individuals, Mangyans are being helped to have homes where they can live decently.  As of this year, a total of 63 houses have been built and turned over to Mangyan families in Sitio Talipanan, Puerto Galera. 

The Iraya-Mangyan program is made possible with the help of various government and nongovernment organizations. Over the long term, what Ayala Foundation hopes to achieve is to nurture a Talipanan Mangyan community—capable of managing its own affairs and activities, but without compromising its own culture.