As a child, Mangyan Batoy Daw Ay would embark on a long, barefoot journey from his mountain home, crossing treacherous rivers with his family to join lowland communities in celebrating Christmas.
In a country where over 124,000 Filipinos die prematurely each year from ischemic heart disease caused by elevated LDL cholesterol and plaque accumulation, the indigenous Mangyan people of Mindoro Island present a striking contrast.
