The island province of Guimaras is synonymous to its sweet-tasting mango, and for good reason. This once-obscure territory across mainland Iloilo was just a vast mango orchard land, which yields export-quality harvests of the country’s national fruit. To mark its first founding anniversary as an independent province, it honored its famed tropical fruit. Thus, Manggahan Festival was born in 1993 and put to the fore its mango industry and rich cultural heritage. It is also the jump-off point to the Seafdec Marine Park, which breeds species of fish to repopulate the fishing grounds. Funded by Southeast Asian countries, it offers a unique tour to help visitors appreciate the importance of preserving the marine ecosystem.

Guimaras: Sweet mangoes, sweet memories. (2018, May 20). BusinessMirror, p. A7.