Talipanan is a friendly Mangyan Village at the far end of the White Beach of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, an island in the midpoint of the Philippines. Mindoro is among the bigger ones in an archipelago of 7,107 islands. It is accessible by a three-hour bus ride from Manila and another two-hour ferry ride from Batangas City.

Talipanan offers a quiet beach, a good walk from the commercial “developments” of the tourist magnet of White Beach.

For those who need a bit of alone time, with just the stretch of sea on one side and the height of mountains on the other, Talipanan is a sweet spot. It’s a free stretch of pebbled privacy.

It is a gem that, fortunately, not very many even attempt to explore.

Within this hideaway is yet another jewel: a store by the beach, run by Mang Nardo, a Mangyan from the Iraya Tribe. He sells fresh buko (young coconut) juice and indigenous crafts such as baskets and bowls made from jungle vines and other forest resources. He earns a living mainly as a spear fisherman, he said Mangyans don't use nets, but has this store to augment his daily income.