Pinamalayan, one of the most popular municipalities in Oriental Mindoro. No wonder why many people visit this wonderful place. It has many places that tourists are looking for, from mountains to oceans, from woods to city lights. You can all see that only here at Pinamalayan. According to the data provided by DTI, among the 1st and 2nd class municipalities in the Philippines, Pinamalayan ranks number 1 in the most improved municipality in the year 2020. That is an incredible result despite other municipalities here are more developed and more famous, as the municipality of Puerto Galera is the most known place here in Oriental Mindoro for its Tamaraw Falls and White Beach, and the city of Calapan which has the biggest population and most urbanized.
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| Photo by Vincent James Bareja |
As a citizen of Pinamalayan, I can see how fast this place has improved and developed. As far as I can remember, during 2018, the tourism here was not that much of a thing, the beaches here are not so developed and they looked like just an ordinary seashore. But now they have luxurious huts, kayaks, and even boat tours. The increasing growth rate of tourism has made this huge improvement. It is evident in the number of businesses opened and amount of tourists visiting here annually. Other things that have improved here are the urban destinations like restaurants and food stops. In the past, this town is just a regular town with eateries, street foods, and a marketplace. But now, food stops are starting to appear and they quickly become popular among the people. The first one started along the nautical highway during the Christmas season of 2020 and now there are almost three more of them in town. Pinamalayan is truly a wonderful place to visit.
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| Photo by wennie Bagsit Briones |
When you are about to enter the municipality of Pinamalayan, you’ll see first the beautiful arc with the message “Pinamalayan Paraiso ng Bahaghari” which means “Pinamalayan The Paradise of Rainbows.” This tagline came from the history of Pinamalayan. There’s a story from long ago when the first settlers of Pinamalayan got lost in the sea because of bad weather and after the storm, the only thing that they see was a rainbow. It guided them to safety and they followed it until they discovered this place with abundant resources for living. That’s why this town has a tagline “Paraiso ng Bahaghari.” So past the short history, when you got to the town proper. You will see a giant pot with a rainbow in it. That means abundance and hope in this town. You can climb and take a picture of this iconic landmark with an instagrammable background.
Explore the Poblacion!
Exploring the town of Pinamalayan has always been fun because here you can do many things and activities. One of the most visited places in this town is the Pinamalayan Park because of its clean environment and wide area for exploring. In addition, it is also at the center of the Poblacion which makes it a perfect place for short-distance travels, not only that because if you stay here for a day or two you can jog around the park in the morning or in the afternoon. This place is a popular venue for most events happening in the town. Many locals do their physical activities here especially in the afternoon where groups of people gather here to bond and enjoy. It is also popular for children because there’s a beautiful playground they can play with. There are also a lot of picturesque locations in the park including the iconic rainbow, flowers, and many more. Here you can see a glimpse of this wonderful park.
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| Photo by Paraiso ng Bahaghari |
Another popular destination and common hangout place for teens and everyone is Recodo Beach and Pier. This place is very popular because of its beautiful scenery and pleasant breeze that you can feel. Many people go here to relax and just see the area. Taking photos and having a picnic in Recodo Beach is definitely the most relaxing thing you can do after a tiring day. You can have a swim on this beach, although this is just a regular seaside, many locals still enjoy having an outing here because it’s free. However, if you want more than just swimming and activity with more thrill, you might want to go to Wawa just beside Recodo. Here you can go rent a kayak and explore the mangroves with a little effort. Just like Recodo Beach, Wawa is similar but just with a little twist.
"The Beaches"
If these two are still not enough for you and you want the real feeling of beach life. You can go a little farther in the barangays of Pili, Banilad, and Ranzo. These places will surely make you excited because here, there are more than enough places for you to explore and spend your time. Our first stop is at Barangay Pili where we can see most of the popular beaches in the whole Pinamalayan. Here we can choose between beaches like Sunrise Beach Resort and Magdalena Beach Resort. Of course, there are other beaches out there but I’m not going to mention it so you can discover it yourself. Our next stop is at Barangay Banilad where the white sand beaches are located. In here we have resorts like Air Vacation and Bulaclac Beach where you can stay for a night or celebrate occasions. They also have floating cottages and kayaks that you can enjoy. These beaches are truly beautiful because of their natural white sand and quiet environment away from the urban area. Places like this can take away your stress and will surely make you relax.
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| Photo by Banilad Facebook Page |
Our last stop for beaches is at Barangay Ranzo, this place is for those people who like road trips and adventures because on the journey you will see breathtaking sceneries and challenging roads. Those adventurous people like to go here because of the thrilling and memorable journey. On the way, we will pass on the road beside a cliff where you can see the whole Poblacion of Pinamalayan because it is at the top of a mountain. You can also see beautiful rock formations beside the seashore and you can take photos of yourself in this amazing place. When you reach Barangay Ranzo, you can see a beautiful white sand beach that will surely amaze you. Because after a rocky and black seashore, you will have a glance at sparkling white sand. There are also several water activities you can do here.
"The River"
For those people who do not like much sea and the sun, we can go to some inland travel locations which will make you feel nature. One of them is the Cawa-cawa Falls where you can swim and make a splash on the water. But before reaching this place, we will have to take an adventurous hike and even cross a short hanging bridge. Upon reaching this place, you will feel the magical ambiance and the see mysterious beauty of the water. This place is away from the noisy city and you can really feel the touch of nature and free your mind. You can also go camping in this place because it is located at the top of a mountain and feels like a real forest.
Another one is the Inclanay Dam near the boundary of Pinamalayan. Although it is not so far from houses, the wide river will still freshen up your mood and take away your stress. For those who like rivers, this is definitely for you because it is not so deep and you can enjoy swimming. The current is also not strong that even children can safely play, but still, we need precautions and guidance. You can go picnic there and have a bonding with your family.
Foooood Trips!!!
After a long day of traveling, of course, we should not forget to get something to eat right? Yes, correct, were hungry so were going to eat. These are the places we might want to go when we want to eat or we get a little hungry here at Pinamalayan. There are many restaurants in the Poblacion that we could choose from but when we’re just looking for some snacks, we definitely got more choices. From luxurious restaurants to the regular ones, we have all that here in Pinamalayan. The Dine@Log and Nanay Goya’s are two examples of that, these restaurants are very popular among people when they have celebrations. You can also dine in here if you want to taste some delicious dishes. Because of the development of this town, the most common fast-food chains in the Philippines, Jollibee, and Chowking also have reached here so you can have a quick meal if you’re in a hurry.
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| Photo by Bonifacio Foodstop Facebook Page |
Now it's meryenda time, but where should we go? Bonifacio Food Park is definitely on our list, here there’s a lot of street foods that we can choose from, from milk tea to inihaw, from burgers to fishballs and many more. The foods are tasty and also budget-friendly. You’ll have fun and even make some friends while hanging out in this popular place. If you’re still not satisfied, maybe you can explore this town and find something special. There’s a lot more in this town and if you want to find out, just put a little effort and take a look. This town will always be here, don’t rush yourself, and when you finally got here don’t forget about these beautiful places.
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