Mamburao was originally settled by the Moro people and was one of their strongholds in the island of Mindoro. The settlement was the first one in Mindoro to be plundered by the Spaniards. Hearing that it was a rich town, the Spanish and their Pintado allies attacked and captured the population. The wealthy among their captives were then allowed to ransom themselves free. With their superior weapons and knowledge of war strategies used in their just concluded Reconquista, they utilised this method all around the islands, and by this the Spanish earned their gold.