Let's Adventure to Mindoro!

The wedding month is approaching and for couples who ran out of ideas how to make that special day truly exciting and memorable, Cocobeach offers that unique setting.

Ive been there myself several times because I just really love the place and the warm reception from the staff.


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Residents of Oriental Mindoro province would have better access to health care with the opening Friday of the new provincial hospital, the Oriental Mindoro Medical Center, in this city.

Governor Alfonso V. Umali Jr. said the province could now offer better health service to its people with the opening of the 200-bed facility in Barangay Sta. Isabel.

The hospital, built for P200 million, was mainly funded by a European grant with counterparts from both the local and national governments, said Umali.

The Department of Health recently approved P232 million for the completion of all satellite hospitals in Oriental Mindoro located in the towns of Pinamalayan, Bulalacao, Roxas, Naujan, Mansalay, and Puerto Galera; the rural health unit in Socorro; as well as its counterpart fund in the construction of the Oriental Mindoro Medical Center.

The establishment of a new provincial hospital in Oriental Mindoro was part of the Health Sector Development Program of the national government, which was launched in 16 pilot provinces in the country, according to a statement released by the provincial information office here.


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Puerto Galera is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 21,925 people in 4,424 households. It is the northwesternmost municipality in Oriental Mindoro.


Puerto Galera is only three and a half hours away from Manila first by bus to the port at Batangas City and then by boat. Tourists can also take the tourist service called the Sikat, from the City State Tower Hotel in Manila from the Batangas City port to Puerto Galera or Sabang Beach, Mindoro.

Sabang beach is the main destination for foreign tourists, while White Beach remains popular with local travelers. Since 2001 White beach has seen uncontrolled development. New restaurants and places to stay are rapidly encroaching on the beach itself and little remains of the once charming beach. Puerto Galera town is a pleasant but sleepy Philippine town with few attractions. It has a large central catholic church and a Pier area, with a selection of bistros and cafes.

Behind the beaches are the huge and generally unexplored mountain ranges of central Mindoro. A particular local attraction is the nine hole golf course perched on the hillside above White Beach which commands spectacular views over Puerto Galera's natural harbor and the Verde Island Passage. Mangyan tribes are scattered over the mountains sides - some of the more remote tribes have no contact with the outside world. Of the eight tribes on Mindoro, the Iraya are the largest. They are based in the Puerto Galera area.



Puerto Galera is also one of the main [technical diving]destinations in Asia. Technical Diving International - [TDI] has many dive centers in the area, offering the full range of TDI courses from Basic [nitrox] to advanced [trimix].




In the summer of 1998 there was some extensive coral bleaching around Medio Island and a large section of shallow reef ('Coral Gardens') was virtually destroyed. Recent evidence has shown it have almost recovered with a larger diversity of coral species, replacing the prolific table corals.

In 2006 two large super-typhoons damaged the shallow areas around Escarceo Point. Many of the faster growing coral species were destroyed to a depth of 6m. This represents about 5% of the coral reef in the area.


By 2008 the density of COTs had greatly reduced, down to a 'normal' range of 30 per hectare. This seems to have been a natural reduction, rather than due to any collection program.
A study by the University of the Philippines in the 1980s, found that the Batangas, Puerto Galera area has the highest diversity of marine species in the world. It forms the centre of the golden triangle - The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia - renowned for their coral and fish species.





Puerto Galera is politically subdivided into 13 barangays.
Aninuan
Balatero
Dulangan
Palangan
Sabang
San Antonio
San Isidro
Sto. Niño
Sinandigan
Tabinay
Villaflor
Poblacion
Baclayan

Full Name: LIEZEL GARCIA
Age: 23
Birthdate: 20 December
Place of Birth: Oriental Mindoro
Height: 5’1”
Weight: 105 lbs.
Racial Descent: Filipino
Civil Status: Single
Occupation: OFW (office work)
Educ. Attainment: Mass Comm.
School Last Attended: PolytechnicUniversity of the Philippines
Interests (other than singing): Dancing, acting
Favorite Singers: Beyonce Knowles, Celine Dion
Musical influences: Mariah Carey, Beyonce Knowles, Kyla, Lani Misalucha, Jaya, Sarah Geronimo, Ella Mae Saison
Discovering my voice: When I was very young, my grandmother and I would get up at 5:00 a.m. She would teach me Tagalog songs and we’d sing together. I remember I started singing in public since I was three years old.
First song ever performed: Dalagang Tagabukid
Musical instrument I can play: Guitar (basic chords only)
Musical instrument I’d like to learn: Piano, drums
Greatest achievement: My two greatest achievements: when I finished college and when I was chosen as a finalist in PDA
Biggest frustration: I want to be a model but I know I’ll never be one because I’m too small
Greatest Dream: To be a professional singer
Song of my life: On The Side Of Angels



Quote Me: “You should fight for your life even thru trials… we need to grow, explore and move on.”

Notes on Zhel:
Probably her lola had great dreams for Zhel, thus the early morning trainings at 5:00 when she was too young to even appreciate what it could mean for her later in life.All she knew was that people would go crazy over her whenever she was given the microphone and made to sing in public.

She was able to use this talent as she grew up, gaining popularity in her hometown as she reaped first prizes in local singing contests.Now that she has moved on to a grander scale, it’s just too bad that her lola can’t watch and hear her sing anymore.

But what her lola can’t hear, perhaps her father can.He was never there to listen to her in her every singing contest; he left the family when she was six years old and was never heard from again until she was 20, then disappeared again.Maybe, inside the Academy, her voice will be able to reach out to her father and make him come home again.