About Us

Anya, daughter of Antoon Postma

Our Vision

An Indigenous People-oriented center appreciating and celebrating the Mangyan cultural heritage.

Our Mission

Document and promote Mangyan culture.


Mangyan Heritage Library

In the early 1960s, the idea of establishing a heritage center for the Mangyans was conceived by Antoon Postma, a missionary priest who engaged with Mangyan communities in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. Postma, deeply moved by the richness of Mangyan culture, began documenting it, eventually leading to the establishment of the Mangyan Research Center (MRC) in Panaytayan, an upland Mangyan settlement in Mansalay.  
As Postma collaborated with institutions like the Mangyan Mission under Father Ewald Dinter, SVD, the knowledge about the Mangyans continued to expand. However, the remote location of the MRC in the highlands of southern Mindoro posed challenges in terms of accessibility. Moreover, the MRC's operations were primarily funded by Postma, putting its long-term sustainability at risk.
In 1999, Quint Fansler, a former Jesuit volunteer in Oriental Mindoro, worked alongside Postma and Dinter to establish the Mangyan Heritage Center in Calapan City, the provincial capital. This initiative aimed to transfer the MRC collection to the MHC for preservation and enhanced research accessibility.
Fansler brought together a group of nine individuals with diverse expertise and a shared interest in Mangyan culture to form the MHC Board of Trustees. The first board meeting in April 2000 marked the transition of MHC from a mere project to an organization with multiple projects dedicated to Mangyan culture. MHC officially opened to the public on November 14, 2000, coinciding with the 50th founding anniversary of Oriental Mindoro province and featuring traditional Mangyan rituals. Subsequently, on March 16, 2001, MHC was registered as a non-profit, non-stock corporation focused on preserving and promoting Mangyan cultural heritage by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The MHC is currently accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification and holds the distinction of being the first non-government organization in Mindoro to achieve this status. Additionally, it has been accredited by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Oriental Mindoro, while also being a member of the Association of Foundations.​



Our library contains the original manuscripts and valuable collections from Antoon Postma's Mangyan Research Center 
based at Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro.

Mangyan 
Cultural Heritage  

is Our Task.


Collect

Preserve

Understand

Share

Celebrate

Advocate


The Mangyan gift to the Filipino People.

Leaders of Mangyan Groups

SECURE COMMUNITY CONSENT

The Mangyan Heritage Center does not have the authority 
to grant permission for research or visits to Mangyan communities,

nor can it recommend a community for collaboration 
or interaction with other groups or individuals.

All research, visits, and requests for direct collaboration 
with a Mangyan community 

must follow the proper procedure of obtaining consent 
from the Mangyan Peoples Organizations.​

Mangyan Iraya

Mal-anggatan Iraya Paranawan Kakuyayan (MIPK)

MR. ERNIE CAPASYAL

President/Chairman

Taisan, San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro

Mangyan Alangan

Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Mangyan Alangan (SANAMA), Inc.

MR. SAMUEL ORFRECIO

President/Chairman

Paitan Naujan, Oriental Mindoro

Mangyan Tadyawan

Kapyan Agpaysarigan Tadyawan, Inc. (KAMTI)

MR. NORBERTO ESCAREZ

President

Zone II, Poblacion, Socorro, Oriental Mindoro

Mangyan Tau-buid

Tagtasadi Fagayu Tau-buid (TFT)

MR. DELFIN YANUWAY

President/Chairman

Safa, Sabang, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro

Mangyan Bangon

Nagkasadian Uyugan Bangon (NUB)

MR. YAWIN-AY GI-AYAN

President/Chairman

Naswak, Lisap, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro

Mangyan Buhid

Sadik Habanan Buhid (SHB)

MR. ENGAY SOLMAY

President/Chairman

Batangan, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro

Mangyan Hanunuo

Pinagkausahan Hanunuo sa Daga Ginurang (PHADAG)

MR. UNYING TIPON

President

Banti, San Roque, Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro

Mangyan Ratagnon

HAGURA (Hanunuo Gubatnon Ratagnon, Inc.)

MR. EDDIE WAGAN

President/Chairman

Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro


Support Mangyan Communities

Our Institutional Partners

We are in good company.

Logo of AlalAlal Foundation


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