The island province of Guimaras has the sweetest-tasting mango in the world. This once-obscure territory off of mainland Iloilo in the Philippines is a vast mango orchard land that yields export-quality harvests. The province is mostly agricultural. Guimaras’ products include mangoes, rice, and coconuts. Tourism, fruit processing, coconut processing, fish farming, manufacturing, mining, quarrying, and lime production are the major industries of the area.
Guimaras was and proclaimed a full-fledged province on May 22, 1992. This was after the townspeople in a plebiscite ratified the Republic Act 7160. To mark its first founding anniversary as an independent province, Guimaras honored its prized tropical fruit. Manggahan Festival was born in 1993, taking the mango industry and rich cultural heritage to the forefront.
Regardless of when you arrive in Guimaras, make sure you try the various mango delicacies. Curious to know more about the sweet and succulent mangoes of Guimaras? Continue reading this article to learn more.
Guimaras’ Mangoes Are Indeed The Best
Both location and climate have a significant impact on the quality of any fruit. The soil that the trees are planted in will also have an impact on the overall quality of the product. Soil that is very rich in nutrients helps the trees bear fruit that is rich in flavor and nutrition.
Crops are the main product of Guimaras, with a special focus on mangoes. The province has more than +50,000 mango trees on the island alone. The area is renowned for producing some of the sweetest mangoes in the world, earning the nickname “Mango Capital of the Philippines.”
The fruit from this area is so exceptional that the White House and Buckingham Palace have tasted Guimaras mangoes. The Manggahan Festival (Mango Festival) is the biggest event of the year for Guimaras. This specific fruit is also best for making dried mangoes, jams, and other unique delicacies.
How To Get There
Guimaras is separated from Iloilo by the Iloilo Strait and is located southeast of Panay. It is a narrow channel that takes approximately twenty to twenty-five minutes from Ortiz to Jordan, Guimaras, by pump boat.
Many ferries depart from Iloilo’s Parola wharf to Buenavista. The Parola wharf is used primarily by ferries from Jordan-Ortiz during rough weather conditions. A roll-on / roll-off ferry operates about five times a day but is mostly used to transport freight from Guimaras to Iloilo, such as charcoal bags and root crops.
Why Guimaras’ Mangoes Are Famous
Mangoes here are very popular throughout the world due to their very exotic taste. They have a distinctive flavor, firm skin, and a sweet smell. Because of this, countries like Canada, the U.S., Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore are paying a lot of money just to import this fruit into their countries.
Rather than seeding the mango trees in Guimaras, the trees are grafted. This is because they believe that earlier grafted trees can bear fruit and produce excellent quality fruit at the same time. Because Guimaras is now the world’s leading distributor of mango, they are very determined to preserve the prestige by maintaining high quality.
Conclusion
If you love mangoes and have always wanted to visit Asia, then Guimaras will be the ultimate destination for you! If you can, try to visit during the Manggahan Festival! That way, you can fully experience the significance and culture of mango production in the province. For more tips on how to eat exotic foods in Asia, click here.
