Delectable mangoes showcased in Guimaras festival

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ILOILO CITY — The island province of Guimaras has been celebrating the 33rd Manggahan Festival which highlights its world-famous mangoes through culinary and trade events.

SWEET TREATS A vibrant arrangement of Guimaras’ signature sweet mangoes catches the eye of festival goers at the Manggahan Festival, where local vendors showcase the island’s prized harvest. PHOTO BY RJAY ZURIAGA CASTOR

At the heart of the festival that started on May 16 and will end on May 25, is the newly expanded "Panabor sa Isla," a vibrant food and business showcase featuring mango-based dishes and products from nine emerging local restaurants, a notable increase from just one participant last year.

Panabor sa Isla is among the festival's gastronomic highlights, alongside the popular mango eat-all-you-can activity and street food fest.

Guimaras Gov. JC Rahman Nava said the provincial government has allocated over P42 million for this year's festivities, up from P34 million in 2024.

While the festival has been shortened to 10 days, it will still feature 13 tons of mangoes, matching last year's consumption levels.

Nava stressed that the festival is not only a celebration of mangoes but also a showcase of Guimaras's culture, agriculture, and community.

"It may be just the Manggahan Festival, but we're promoting every segment of our economy in this festival," he said.

"We expect that there will be return visits again in Guimaras and that's what we're really pushing for. The moment you come here for the first time, you will look for your second time around," he added.

Francisco Gentoral, Guimaras Provincial Economic Development Officer, said the production of mangoes has been steadily increasing.

In 2023, the province produced a total of 16,238 tons. This increased to 20,535 metric tons in 2024.

Gentoral said visitor numbers last year reached to nearly 60,000, with 54,000 of them being day-trippers or excursionists, contributing to a total P84 million in tourism revenues.

Gentoral added that P66.42 million of the revenue came from day tours alone.

"We are actively improving our island, our festival, by using music. We also want to be a music island or island music festival in the future," he added.

This year's festival features celebrity and local bands throughout the 10-day celebration. Among the scheduled performers are Angeline Quinto, MYMP, Lola Amour, Michael Pangilinan, and Maki, among others.

Learning from last year's logistical challenges, Nava said the provincial government has coordinated extended operating hours with sea transport providers to accommodate the anticipated influx of visitors.

"Last year, there were a down-sides, where we did not expect the volume of people coming in. there will be a rotation among crew in our sea vessels which were not adopted last year. I think we have to prepare," he said.

Nighttime trips of motorboats plying the Jordan and Buenavista routes to and from Iloilo City will be extended until 2:00 a.m., while roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessels will operate until midnight.