Coco Beach Island Resort

Last week, a group of French students together with their teachers from the European International School in Manila visited Coco Beach for their vacation and educational field trip. The students are in Grade 7 and 12 yrs old.

The students and teachers at the Mangyan Village

Students are Erwan Laulagnet, Hick Carlos, Heuze Adelle, Beck Laura, Tissot Tanitha, Geraldine Iserentant, Siam Streibl, Andrej Dolonivs, Estelle Anselme, Noemy Chenier, Benjamin Albert, Epiphanie Guicheteau, Xavier Gianni, Julien Carrozza, Josh Grassi and Albert Benoit. The teachers are Marylene Edet, Axel Metouso and Christell Laulagnet.

As part of their educational trip, the students from Euro Campus came here to have a glimpse of Mangyan customs and traditions. Their exposure trip brought them to the Talipanan Mangyan Village and Mangyan School w/ our Mountain Guide Edwin who happens to be a Mangyan himself and very proud of it.

Students at the Talipanan Mangyan School

Talipanan is home to the Iraya, one of the seven tribes of Mangyan here in Mindoro. There the students interviewed the principal, Mrs. Rebecca Presentacion who has been a school teacher for more than 25 years. Issues like lack of textbooks and school supplies, facilities, school uniforms for the students, as well as the dedication of the teachers and the students to attend classes were discussed during the interview. The students also took a video of the entire proceeding and they are planning to show it to everyone in campus. Then the group gave biscuits and cookies to the children who were playing in the village.

Grabbing some fresh fruits during their lunch at the Tamaraw Falls

Lunch was at the Tamaraw Falls about 40 minutes away from Talipanan where the group had a delicious spread of barbecued items like fish, pork and chicken together with fresh salad greens, ripe mangoes, pineapples and watermelons for dessert. While waiting for lunch to be ready, the students played some games or sang songs and watched the waters of Tamarraw cascade down to the swimming pools.

During their tour, one woman shows how the weaved baskets are done

In the afternoon, the Euro Campus group proceeded to another Mangyan Village, the Bangko Mangyan Village located in Bagong Pook where one of Coco Beach’s Mangyan projects can be found. This is also Edwin’s village and he happily introduced his family to the teachers and students. Here also you will find the Tadjawan tribe of Mangyans. Unlike the Iraya, with curly hair, almond-shaped eyes and dark skin tone, the Tadjawan Mangyan has fairer complexion, with straight hair and slit-eyes.

Mangyan crafts on display and makes a great souvenir

The students with their teachers trekked up the mountain side and along the way were treated to a spectacular view of the town proper of Puerto Galera with its houses, low rise buildings and church set amidst a backdrop of clear blue waters and verdant hills and mountains. The group was also treated to a simple Mangyan meal consisting of fresh coconut juice, boiled bananas, sweet yams and taro and the crunchiest salad made from wild ferns (pako), with vinegar, salt and pepper, garlic and a little sugar for its dressing. The native salad was a hit among the teachers of Eurocampus.