THE MANGYANES: A PROBLEM OF 

 FOREST PROTECTION 



By MELVIN L. MERRITT, Forester, Philippine Bureau of Forestry 



FOREST protection is as much a crs, they seldom have fixed places of 

 problem in the Philippines as abode, but move from place to place in 

 elsewhere ; and although forest search of game, food, and the few prod- 

 fires, in the usual acceptance of the ucts which they use themselves or use 

 term, are practically unknown in parts in barter with the coast people. In 

 of these islands, other problems, equal- trading they are greatly imposed upon. 

 ly acute, present themselves for solu- On one occasion when the writer 

 tion. The task of dealing with the un- bought from one of them a quantity of 

 civilized and timid people known as rice which usually sells for about 60 

 Mangyanes, in the Island of Mindoro, cents, several small coins of various de- 

 is such a problem. nominations were offered in payment, 

 This island is located about 120 miles but the Mangyan returned all but two 

 south of Manila. It is the seventh coppers worth only I cent, saying that 

 island of the archipelago in size, and this was what people usually paid him. 

 has an area of 3,850 square miles, or They are cheated even more when sell- 

 more than one-half that of New Jer- ing other products the real value of 

 sey. Extending through its central which is not known so well, 

 part, from north to south, and covering Apparently they live in groups of 

 about two-thirds of its entire area, is a twenty to thirty persons. Although 

 broad and rugged mountain chain, there is but a small part of the interior 

 reaching an altitude of nearly 9,000 mountain region over which the Mang- 

 feet at Mt. Halcon, in the north central yanes do not roam, one group will not 

 part. Covering most of this high moun- ordinarily range outside of a fairly 

 tain region and in many places extend- small and well-defined area. Every 

 ing down nearly to the coast is, nor- year they make clearings in the forest, 

 mally, a heavy forest growth, which, in sometimes small, but often covering 

 places, has been destroyed. According several acres, upon which they raise 

 to the 1905 census, Mindoro has a small quantities of rice, sweet potatoes 

 population of 28,360, or about seven or "camotes," and various other roots 

 per square mile, a density of population and vegetables. Each succeeding year, 

 about the same size as that of South or a t least every few years, they make 

 Dakota. Of this population, 7,264 are new clearings. These "caingins," as 

 Mangyanes, a wild mountain tribe. The they are called ^ made and abandoned at 

 civilized people live on a relatively win> haye worked incalculable damage 

 small area along the coast, leaving the tQ the forest In m laces no } 

 main central wooded part of the island ^ ^ ^^ {n Q especially 

 to the Mangyanes wegt sideg of ^ 



1 he Mangyanes are probablv the , . M1 , 



original inhabitants, who withdrew to lsland < grass-covered 5 and moun- 



the interior as coast points were occu- tain Sldes bear Sllent testimony to the 



pied by the more civilized tribes. They work of destruction, 



are a simple, primitive people, with fair fires burn over the grass lands, destrpy- 



physical development and a timid and ing seedlings and small trees. With- 



retiring disposition. Naturally wander- out exaggeration, it would be safe to 

 3 '39 



