It was the most memorable roadtrip I’ve ever been on—a 3-hour car ride to Batangas pier, the 2 and a half hour ferry to Abra de Ilog, and the final 3-hour ride to Sablayan, Mindoro. A journey in which the thrill was in the journey itself.

Imagine crossing the famed Verde Island Passage, the world’s center for marine biodiversity, then shooting out of the ferry’s cargo hold aboard our vehicle straight in to the heart of Occidental Mindoro. I knew immediately that the best, even if it was for work, was on my way.

I found myself in Mindoro for a number of reasons, but primarily it was because Haribon Foundation’s Site Action Department needed some extra pair of hands to help out with their new program, the Biodiversity Partnership Project (BPP).

Along with several other organizations such as Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, the Provincial Government of Occidental Mindoro, the Municipal Government of Sablayan, and local government units, BPP was designed to develop biodiversity-friendly agricultural and business practices in Sablayan.

For a few days, we went around different barangays and held discussions with highly diverse people: local officials, members of the Mangyan Alangan tribe, and even guards and detainees of the scenic Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm.

The other reason for being there was both personal and professional: all my life I’ve never been to Mindoro. To be able to visit it as a tourist and see what the island has to offer is one thing, but to be able to go there and spend time with its diverse communities is another. At this level, environmental conservation issues gave a distinctly more intimate perspective as concepts of ecology take the form of people and communities with hopeful faces.

This wasn’t just for me either. If plans push through, we will be bringing Haribon members the next time we’re there for them to experience this for themselves.

With its proximity to the ocean, winding rivers that shift with the weather, and the presence of high reaching mountains, there is no lack of unique places to head to in Mindoro. I haven’t even started on how many different bird species, from bee-eaters to raptors to egrets, we easily spotted without leaving our vehicle. There is certainly a lot to see here, and for those who dare to go in a bit deeper, there can be even more.