Pola, Oriental Mindoro: The untold jewel of Philippine heritage tourism

On the eastern coast of Oriental Mindoro lies a hidden gem quietly preserving the soul of Filipino heritage — Pola, a charming coastal town where time slows down and ancestral memories live on in capiz windows, wooden staircases, and whispering floorboards. Often overshadowed by larger tourist destinations, Pola is now emerging as a heritage destination that beckons travelers to step into the past and rediscover the Philippines’ architectural and cultural richness.

A living museum by the sea

Revered as the “Heritage Town of Oriental Mindoro,” Pola is home to a remarkable collection of ancestral houses — structures built as early as the Spanish era and lovingly maintained through generations. Here, the architecture tells a story, etched into the intricate woodwork of bahay na bato, American-Spanish influences, and the haunting beauty of timeworn capiz shells.

Many of these houses date back over a century. The Venturanza House, standing proudly with its black-and-brown façade, is over 100 years old. The Rabulan House, slightly younger, still stands with its original charm intact. These aren’t just old buildings; they are cultural anchors — reminders of family lineages, wartime stories and the resilience of a community that continues to thrive.

In fact, it is in Pola where you’ll find the greatest concentration of heritage homes in the province — entire streets where history seems to stand still. A stroll through these neighborhoods is like stepping into a sepia-toned photograph, with homes barely touched by modernization, save for the addition of street lamps and electric wires.

Where every street tells a story

There’s magic in Pola’s every corner. Down Quijano Street, the Genabe Ancestral House once belonged to Don Vicente Vargas Genabe, a respected cabeza de barangay. Just a few meters away, the Raymundo House — once the residence of maestro Guillermo Raymundo, a teacher of the Spanish alphabet — remains a silent sentinel of the town’s educational legacy.

Meanwhile, the Divino House carries tales of compassion and service, having belonged to Dr. Galicano Asinas Divino, known as the “People’s Doctor” who treated patients at all hours. And then there’s the Orosa-Martinez House, a wartime relic rumored to have served as a Japanese garrison during World War II.

As you walk past these homes, the salty breeze from the coast carries more than just air — it brings stories, layered like the walls of these structures, of fiestas, Holy Week traditions like the Moriones Festival, and childhood games played under the shadows of ancestral rooftops.

A future rooted in preservation

But these treasures are not immune to the elements. Salt-laden air poses a slow but persistent threat to wood, metal and stone. Fortunately, there are champions of heritage within the town — like Edgar Genabe, a local government employee and self-taught historian who has documented over 1,400 pages of Pola’s forgotten past. And structural preservationists like Engr. Jerome Galler-Pascual, who advocate for disaster risk management and proper conservation plans to shield these homes from environmental decay.

The local government, in collaboration with property owners, now aims to declare Pola’s heritage streets an official Heritage Zone under the National Cultural Heritage Act. Plans are underway to enhance the town’s nostalgic ambiance with cobblestone roads, antique-style street lamps and adaptive reuse of ancestral homes into boutique bed-and-breakfasts, cafés, or museums.

The dream? To become the “Vigan of the South.”

Why Pola matters

What makes Pola truly exceptional is not just the presence of heritage — it’s how that heritage continues to shape the identity of the town and its people. Famous personalities like former Vice President Noli de Castro, current mayor, former beauty queen and actress Ina Alegre and actor-politician Ejay Falcon were born here, but it’s the unsung residents who keep Pola’s legacy alive with every story passed down, every structure preserved, every memory honored.

Pola’s remoteness is both a challenge and a blessing. Getting there involves a scenic ferry ride from Batangas and a two-hour drive inland — a pilgrimage of sorts that rewards you with not just views of the sea and mountains, but a deeper understanding of who we are as Filipinos.

Pola is not just a destination — it’s a storybook waiting to be explored. In every creaky floorboard and faded photograph, you’ll find not just nostalgia, but purpose: a reminder that to move forward, we must protect the places that remind us of where our lives began.