Guimaras: Thirteen tons (around 11,000 kilos) of sweet mangoes will be offered during the 10-day 2025 Manggahan (Mango) Festival which kicked off Friday. Organizers aim to surpass last year's attendance of nearly 63,000 guests by offering mango-inspired food and delicacies alongside a series of events running until May 25.
According to Philippines News Agency, one of the festival's highlights is the mango-eat-all-you-can event, where visitors can indulge in the sweetest mangoes for 30 minutes at a fee of PHP100. Last year, a visitor from Louisville, Kentucky in the US, outperformed 9,500 others by consuming 25 pieces of mangoes.
The festival includes a music festival, which traditionally sees the highest attendance, and a cultural and street dance competition where Guimaras' five municipalities will showcase their cultural heritage through dance and music. Additional events include sports competitions, an agri-fishery fair, beauty pageants for Mr. and Miss Guimaras, Kabataan (Youth) Day, a government services fair, Farmers and Fisherfolk Day, and Provincehood Night.
Governor JC Rahman Nava shared insights during a press conference on Friday, stating, "We're showcasing the sweetest mango, renowned world over. Since last year, we've not just been pushing the mango but as well as other produce that Guimaras can offer. I think this is a more expanded Manggahan Festival in comparison with last year. We're hoping that we can duplicate the success that we had last year."
The previous year's festival generated over PHP311.87 million, encompassing PHP84.47 million in tourism revenues, PHP106.18 million from the music festival, PHP54.43 million from accommodations, PHP1.78 million from transport, PHP26.34 million from the agri-eco trade fair, and PHP5.04 million in retail activities.
Guimaras Lone District Rep. Lucille Nava highlighted the festival's impact on local tourism and economic activity during the opening program. She noted, "The economic effects extended across various sectors. This year, we optimistically anticipate an even more exciting, fun-filled, innovative and sustainable festival. Manggahan 2025 aims to blend tradition with modernity, introducing immersive experience, technology-driven exhibits and initiatives that would empower the farmers, fisherfolk and women entrepreneurs."
