Guimaras: The provincial government of Guimaras and the association of dragon fruit growers in the province kicked off the fourth year of its Dragon Fruit Fest on Thursday. The annual festival is aimed at supporting the dragon fruit growers in their marketing and in boosting tourism. It also serves as a strategic response to the mango off-season by offering dragon fruits as a high-value alternative to attract tourists.
According to Philippines News Agency, Francis Gentoral, Provincial Economic and Development Officer and concurrent Tourism Officer, stated that for the past three years, the festival gathered close to 15,000 tourists and generated some PHP22 million in tourism receipts. 'We continue doing this festival as a means to provide additional income for dragon fruit farmers. We also look into the value-adding of dragon fruit and not just for health benefits, but it can also be utilized for arts,' he said in a media conference.
This year, they are targeting at least a 25 percent increase in tourist arrivals, tourism receipts, and revenues for entrepreneurs. The theme of this year's festival, 'Where Flavor Meets Arts,' highlights the diverse uses of dragon fruit beyond health benefits. Governor Ma. Lucille Nava emphasized the importance of integrating arts into the festival and encouraging youths to explore other uses of naturally grown products in Guimaras. 'We would like to inculcate arts and to encourage our youths to become aware of the other uses of our naturally grown products in Guimaras. And to the creative minds of Guimarasnons, we would like their innovative spirit to use these basic materials to encourage their artistic abilities,' she stated.
The four-day festival began with a weekend market at the provincial capitol, offering hundreds of kilos of dragon fruits for sale. Additional events include the pick and pay at the NJST and Paquito Farms, where dragon fruits are available at PHP150 per kilo, with an entrance fee of PHP50 for three hours. The Provincial Office for Agricultural Services reported that there are around 22.44 hectares of dragon fruit cultivation areas in the province with 21,077 posts, and the annual production reaches approximately 8.875 tons.
