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Even before the Spaniards came, the Chinese traders knew about the land, which was known then as Mait. During the exploration of the Spaniards in 1570, they changed the name from Mait to Mina de Oro, meaning mine of gold, and found some of the precious metal, though no major gold discoveries was ever made.
Agriculture is the major industry in Occidental Mindoro and it holds the record of being the Southern Tagalog region's leading rice producer. Other major agricultural products that are likewise being exported include coconut, corn, tobacco, garlic, mango, banana and peanut. The residents are also engaged in cattle and poultry raising, logging and fishing. The famous "Mindoro Bangus" is produced in many fresh-water ponds, while the offshore waters teem with tuna, grouper and octopus. There are also light industries like processing fruits, fish, prawns and nuts, feed milling, gemstone and marble finishing, handicrafts, and toys and gifts, which all make use of the province.s profuse and accessible resources.
The province is gifted with varied attractions that are mostly natural. The place has virgin forests, beautiful white sand beaches, islands and islets rich with marine life, coral gardens, caves, and waterfalls. Besides Boracay, it is one of the best places to scuba dive. Many scuba divers cannot resist the underwater beauty of Occidental Mindoro.
There aren't many historical sites, but the province offers a lot of tourist attractions like the Apo National Reef Park in Sablayan, which is acclaimed as the best in Asia and the diving mecca of the Philippines. Cabra Island in Lubang is a favorite spot for fishing.
Local airlines fly from Manila to San Jose on a regular schedule; travel time is 40 minutes. By sea transfer, William Lines leaves the port of Manila for San Jose or Sablayan; travel time is 16 hours.
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