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PUERTO
GALERA
 Puerto
Galera, one of the oldest settlements of the religious
missionaries, was founded in 1574 as the original capital of
Mindoro. Originally, the town was located at the Lagundian,
now a "sitio", chosen by the Spanish authorities
as the provincial capital due to its excellent harbor and
natural beauty. But due to its susceptibility to moro
raids, the Spaniards were forced to transfer the town from the
Lagundian to the present site, which they named Puerto Galera. The
town was popularly known as "Puerto Galera" (Port of
the Galleons). Spanish galleons coming from Mexico and
Spain used the presence of an excellent port or berthing
place to take refuge during stormy weather before
proceeding to Manila.
The
mountains and the good harbor nearby served the Spaniards well
as shields from the moro pirates and other marauders. Several guard
houses and watch towers were built at the top of the surrounding
mountains. The biggest was constructed at Dampalitan Point,
north of the town facing Batangas Channel. Public and Military headquarters,
hospitals, warehouses and a convent made of stone were also
erected through the efforts of both the church and the state.
A wharf was also built at Muelle Bay. Adjacent to this stood a
warehouse for rice, which caught fire one night. It is widely believed
that the charcoaled grains, popularly known as "black
rice", till remain scattered at the shores of
Muelle up to this day.
In
1837, the seat of government was transferred to Calapan due to
the suitable agricultural plains and the Spaniards opted to stay there.
When Puerto Galera was no longer the seat of the government, the
Spanish government officials left the town and only the friars remained.
A "cabesa" or "capitan del pueblo" was then
appointed by the "governador" to collect the
tributes or taxes from the people and to maintain peace and
order. Among the heads of the town called "gobernadorcillos"
who became famous were Jose Salamat, Juan Quinto, Aguido
Cobarrubias and Hilarion Axalan.
 Guarding
the coasts of Puerto Galera was a Spanish warship, named "Cañonero
Mariveles". However, on November 18, 1879, the
ill-fated battleship was hit by a powerful storm, which caused
it to sink outside the West Coast of Muelle. As a tribute
to the lost ship and its crew, a wooden cross was erected
right at the center of Muelle with the following
inscription: "Ultima tierra que pesaron los tripolantes del Cañonero
Mariveles el 18 de Noviembre de 1879, Memoria de sus campañero".
As one of the greatest relics of the past century, this cross
was renovated in 1938 by a Spanish national named Luis
Gomez y Sotto.
Revolutionaries
from Puerto Galera participated in the overthrow of the Spanish
Government in Mindoro in 1898 -1900 under the leadership of brothers
Miguel and Estanislao Cobarrubias Sr.
During
the American regime, a military governor by the name Captain Robert
Offley was appointed. On November 2, 1902, Puerto Galera was
again made the capital of the province until 1903. It was
annexed to Calapan in 1905 as a barrio represented by
Hilarion Axalan in the Calapan town council in 1916. In
1919 it was made a municipal district with Isidro Suzara as
"municipal president".
On
February 21, 1928, Under Act. No. 3415, it was organized into an
independent municipality with Anacleto Atienza as first
"municipal presidente". Estanislao Cobarrubias
Sr. was the last "municipal presidente" of the
civil government and the first municipal mayor of the
commonwealth government.
On
February 27, 1942, the Japanese air force and naval auxiliary occupied
the town. Leoncio Axalan, who was supposed to end his term
as mayor in 1942, was made to extend his term until 1946 because of
his courage and integrity. It was indeed a great test for a man
to run the affairs of the municipal government amidst the
warring parties, the guerrillas and the Japanese.
 After
the liberation in 1946, then Governor Arturo Ignacio appointed Rafael
Garcia as the municipal mayor of Puerto Galera. In 1948,
Estanislao Brucal, an officer of the guerrilla unit in
Mindoro during the Japanese occupation, became the first
elected municipal mayor of Puerto Galera under the
Republican form of Government.
In
1972, during the third term of Mayor Rogelio Cataquis, the
sitios of Sto. Niño and Villaflor were created and
organized into regular barangays together with the recognition
of Poblacion as a duly organized barangay.
On
December 26, 1973, PD 354 was issued by then President Ferdinand E.
Marcos making Puerto Galera a reservation area under the Man and Biosphere
Program of the UNESCO.
Today,
the beautiful and scenic Puerto Galera is the center of tourism in
this province, making full use of its long line of white beaches
and its abundant flora and fauna.
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