The Guimaras Mango Domination

Enough about Guimaras being ‘more than just mangoes’ because this summer season, the island-province is definitely about its well-reputed sweet(est) golden fruit.

We’ve all heard about that line before that suggests we all know Guimaras for its mangoes already, that we don’t even have to talk about it. But don’t we really?

Tell me, what do you know of the Guimaras mango aside from the fact that it’s sweet? Yeah I know. It’s the sweetest. Well these mangoes have gone through a lot (teary-eyed) before reaching their fame and I’ll be glad to treat you with a bit of what I dug right from the roots. Buckle up.

Let’s start with the fact that Guimaras mangoes are sweet because Nong Andres said so, Nanay Linda said so, Toto Ben said so, I said so, she said so. Okay so many said so and that was just that then---establishment of reputation by word of mouth.

However in 1989, being a good producer of “Carabao” mango variety or Manila Super Mango, relatively isolated and home to the National Mango Research and Development Center, Guimaras was chosen to be surveyed on the presence of Mango Seed Weevil (Sternochetus mangiferiae). This was conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry and Department of Agriculture-Provincial Unit to be evaluated by the United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service. Sadly, USDA-APHIS did not agree to the recommendations of the said survey and so in 1993, APHIS with BPI-NMRDC conducted the “Comprehensive Survey of the Mango Seed Weevil in the Island of Guimaras”. Not a single specimen of Sternochetus mangiferiae was observed.

So in December 23, 1993, through Proclamation Number 314, Guimaras was declared a “Special Quarantine Zone” to prevent witting and unwitting introduction of Mango Pulp Weevil and Mango Seed Weevil from other parts of the country. And this is the big rationale to baggage inspections at any point of entry in Guimaras.

The result of this survey also marked the beginning of mango exportation (a record considered as a first in the Philippines) from Guimaras to mainland USA and Australia in 2002 after the latter also conducted its own survey in the province. Yearly, the NMRDC conducts regular monitoring of mango trees in the five municipalities to ensure the province’s status.

So, what do you know about the Guimaras mangoes aside from the fact that they’re sweet? Hm.

(sources: National Mango Research and Development Center, Provincial Office for Agricultural Services-Guimaras)