Sweet Mangoes from Zambales

The province of Zambales is said to produce some of the sweetest mangoes in the world. Having this is mind, we made sure that we get to taste their mangoes during our weekend trip to the province. It wasn't an exaggeration! Mangoes in Zambales are indeed sweet! One, two, three mangoes, we couldn't have enough of them.

Mango Vendors at the Trade Fair

It is no surprise that mango is declared as One Town, One Product or OTOP in a number of towns in Zambales. To help promote their mangoes, the province holds an annual Mango Festival. Among the activites is a trade fair held at the provincial capital town of Iba. Various mango producers sell their harvest at bargain price. The province's 13 municipalities also set up their own booth to showcase their local specialty products.

Mango Festival Trade Fair

Summer time is the best time to visit Zambales when mangoes are at their most abundant. If you will have the chance to visit Zambales, don't fail to sample their mangoes. A number of vendors have stalls along the national highway, mostly located between the towns of San Narciso and San Marcelino. During Mango Festival, the best place to look for mangoes would be at the trade fair in Iba, usually located at the Zambales National High School grounds.

One Town, One Product (OTOP) is a program of the Philippine Government through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to encourage entrepreneurship aimed at providing livelihood and employment to Filipinos. It showcases products made of indigenous raw materials crafted by local workers, craftsmen and artists. The OTOP is also a key instrument in promoting tourism in the country. We at Pinas Muna advocate the OTOP program and through our blog, we aim to introduce you to the many Filipino-made products and urge you to support Filipino businesses.