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Legend says that in late 18 th century, an old woman asked for a bowl of rice from the Spaniard guarding the rice warehouse near the wharf. Instead of giving her a few grains, the Spanish guard drove her away. Later that night the warehouse mysteriously burned down and all the rice inside burned with it. Next day, the townfolk noticed black grains at the banks of the bay and till this day, a handful of whole charcoal-black rice grains can still be found.a few on the banks of Muelle Bay, A huge glass case at Muelle Pier near the tricycle terminal, displays some of this grain and a warning for visitors is included not to collect any of these grains in order to preserve one of the historical remnants of Puerto Galera.

In remembrance of this battleship a wooden cross was built at Muelle Pier with the inscription: "Ultima tierra que pesarou los tripolantes del canoneros Mariveles el 18 de Noviembre de 1879". This relic of the 19th century was renovated by the Spaniard Luis Gomez y Sotto in 1938.

Brief History
Much like the province of Oriental Mindoro to which it belongs, Puerto Galera is very rich in history. Literally meaning "Port of Galleons," it became popular among seafarers during the prosperous years of the galleon trade beginning on the 10th century. Owing to its excellent natural harbor - which until now is considered one of the most beautiful and safest in the world - Puerto Galera became a regular stopover for merchant vessels sailing along the important trade routes of the Near East, Indian coast, Indo-Chinese coast, China, Philippines, Sumatra, and Java.

The Muelle Bay area, in particular, was used extensively for dock repairs and as a safe anchorage for all types of sailing vessels. Here, too, a lot of merchant ships docked to trade with the natives.

Puerto Galera was such important port that some historians even believe the name "Mindoro" was derived from Minolo, one of Puerto Galera's old settlements. These are claims, too, that 16th century references to Mindoro often only meant the harbor of Minolo. Also spelled Minoro, Minolo was a small coastal settlement northwest of the Poblacion of present-day Puerto Galera. then the center of trading, Chinese merchants bartered with natives of Minolo, exhanging glazed porcelains for gold, jade, corals, shells, birds, rattan, and other forest products that were abundant in the island. An excavation of an ancient gravesite near Minolo lends proof to this - the antiques unearthed from the gravesites were traced back to the 10th and 15th centuries, mostly from China, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Sta. Lourdes Tagbanua, Puerto Princesa City is where the Honda Bay can be seen. The bay consists of several islets with shallow reefs, bordering fabulous beaches and small resorts which have become the favorite water sports destination of local and foreign tourists alike.

By the 17th century, under its Spanish colonizers, the island of Mindoro was organized into a coregimiento, with Puerto Galera as the capital. The seat of government remained here throughout the Spanish and American rules, up until 1903.

After more than two centuries, the capital of the province was transferred to Calapan (now a city and the present capital of Oriental Mindoro), which was geograpically blessed with wide agricultural lands. Puerto Galera was then annexed to Calapan as a barrio. Finally, on December 7, 1927, the Philippine Congress passed Act 3415 creating the independent municipality of Puerto Galera.

Epigraphs referring to two historical landmarks have now become major tourist attractions in Puerto Galera - the commemoration Cross for Cañonero Mariveles and the Black Rice display-board, both in Muelle Pier.

When Puerto Galera was made capital of Mindoro, it was originally located in Barrio Lagundian. But the frequency of the Moro attacks forced the Spaniards not only to transfer the seat government to its present site, but also to build watchtowers and station battleship that guarded the waters of Puerto Galera was the Cañonero Mariveles, which sunk due to a violent storm in 1879. To remember the battleships, a wooden corss was built at Muelle Pier with the following inscription: "Ultima tierra que pesarou los tripolantes del cañoneros Marivelles el 18 de Noviembre de 1879." One of the greatest relics of the past century, this Cross was renovated in 1938 by a Spaniard named Luis Gomez y Sotto.

Aside form introducing tools to increase farm productivity, the Spaniards also built a rice granary in Puerto Galera to stash grains ready for shipment. This storage is believed to have caught fire in the late of 18th century, and a huge volume of palay (rice grains) were burned and tossed into the sea. It would decompose and eventually vanish. But for some magical reason, the burned rice grains were preserved by seawaters. to this day, handful of whole charcoal-black rice grains continue to appear on the banks of Muelle Bay, mysteriously carried by the waves with the changing of tides. A huge glasscase collecting them now stands along the tricyle terminal on Muelle Pier.

Naaalala ko nung ako ay bata pa, naiikwento sa akin ng aking yumaong ama, na nung araw daw sa Muelle sa may tabi ng simbahan ay may lumang kamalig. Ang panahong ito ay pagkatapos ng giyera at panahon ng mga amerikano. Ang Tatay ay edad 12 hanggang 14 nung mga panahong iyon. Inutusan daw sila ng Pari na maglinis ng sukal dun sa lumang kamalig sa harapan ng simbahan sa may tabi ng kumbento. Kinatatakutan ito dahil meron daw tikbalang at mga maligno. palibhasa'y masukal, hindi nila halos makita ang kanilang mga dinadampot. maya-maya pa'y nakakita sila ng isang bunton na bala ng kanyon. ang bala ay hugis bola na mas malaki sa tikom na kamay. ang sabi ng pari: "huwag ninyong ibabagsak yan at baka sumabog". Ito kaya ay tira nung nasunog na kamalig ng mga kastila?

Ang kwento ng Tiyo Erming, dabindalawang pari daw noon ang nakadestino sa puerto. lahat daw dito ay kastila maliban sa isang pilipino. At sa parteng ibaba ng simbahan ay nandun ang kamalig na pinagtatambakan ng palay papuntang maynila. sa tabi ng kamalig ay meron daw "barracks" ng mga sundalong kastila na guwardiya laban sa mga "tulisanes". sa madaling salita, magkakatabi ang simbahan, ang kumbento, kamalig at barracks. Umalis daw labing-isang kastilang pari papuntang Lipa dahil pinatawag at dahil Lipa daw ang nakasasakop sa ating simbahan nung araw. Iniwan nila ang kamalig sa pangangalaga ng pilipinong pari.dahil walang magawa ang mga kastila, marahil ay nagsipag-lasing at di kalauna'y nagkasunog dahil sa pulubura. marahil ang sunog ay galing sa barracks o armory ng mga kastila.Pagbalik nila ay sunog na ang kamalig at ipinalinis sa pilipinong pari ang lahat ng nasunog na palay at ipa. Ang kamalig na ito ay nasa may parteng ibaba daw ng kumbento ngayon. dahil walang matatambakan, itinambak na lang lahat ng nasunog na palay sa muelle sa may tapat ng "el canonero" ngayon.

Noong kami'y maliliit pa lamang, may kwento na sa muelle daw kapag dapithapon ay may naglalakad na paring pugot ang ulo. May kinalaman kaya ang lahat ng ito sa "black rice"? o sadyang panakot lang sa mga batang hindi pa magsipag-uwian pag hapon na.

Nagpahukay ako sa tapat ng canonero noon at nakita ko na marami pang black rice. parang kahapon lang nila itinambak doon may isang dangkal pa ang kapal. nakamamangha.

That's very interesting galera, thanks for the info. Sana makapag-post ka ng mga old photos ng Puerto Galera.

I am sorry pero wala akong mga lumang pictures ng puerto galera.

Meron akong kilala na taga bayan: si pinsang japoy, pamangkin ng tiya perla na kapatid ng tiyo pompe, marami silang mga lumang pictures dun.

i believe member siya sa forum na ito.