Coco Beach Island Resort

Students from the Baclayan Mangyan School singing a song about the life of a Mangyan

The 10th Kaaldawan Iraya Festival was celebrated last week at Mt. Baclayan. This was the first time that the Iraya festival was held in their Mangyan village. For those who are new to our Coco Newsletter, the Kaaldawan Festival is celebrated annually. It is a festival for the Mangyan Tribes, the cultural minority of the island of Mindoro.

The new Cultural and Recreation Hall in Baclayan

he "Dance of Life" performed by the students of
Talipanan Mangyan School

This year, the festival coincides with the opening of the Mangyan Iraya Cultural and Recreation Center which establishes the first Baclayan Eco-tourism Tour focusing mainly of the environment and the Mangyan tribe.

Some of the activities for this year's festival were a thanksgiving mass for the Mangyan, parlor games for the Mangyan children, hiking from the town to the Mangyan village in Mt. Baclayan and traditional Mangyan dance and song performed by students of Talipanan Mangyan School and Baclayan Mangyan School. The festival was a success in creating more awareness of the Mangyan people and keeping their culture, tradition and tribe alive.