Zambales celebrates mango harvest with annual ‘Dinamulag Festival’
BOTOLAN, ZAMBALES – The annual mango festival, which celebrates the bountiful harvest of the world’s sweetest “dinamulag” variety, ended on a high note on Saturday night, capping the four-day celebration that drew thousands of residents and visitors to this town.
Despite heavy rains, the festival concluded with a vibrant parade and competition dubbed “Zamba-Liwanag” that featured float entries from different towns in Zambales province, as well as national agencies, community groups, schools and business establishments.
According to Sandra Aguillon, chairman of this year’s Zamba-liwanag, the event embodied the spirit of nurturing and strengthening the province’s mango industry, showcasing the creativity, talent and passion of local farmers and stakeholders.
“Through vibrant floats and captivating Mutya ng Zamba-liwanag, we have highlighted not only the festivities surrounding the Dinamulag 2025 but also the journey of our mango growers from cultivation to harvest and the impact of this industry on our communities,” said Aguillon.
The float designs represented the dinamulag mangoes and also the different traditions, heritage and attractions in the province.
“This celebration isn’t just about mangoes, it is preserving our rich cultural heritage, promoting local tourism and empowering our agricultural sector,” she added.
Adjudged as grand champion participated by 22 local governments and agencies, including the provincial police office, was the float of the host Botolan town.
Mango congress
Among the festival’s activities highlighted the efforts of local farmers, such as the staging of the Mango Congress, where participants got involved in mango-picking activity, practical demonstration and exhibit of farming techniques and equipment.
The festival also featured activities such as a drum and lyre competition; cooking, souvenir and singing contests; a beauty pageant; and sport activities like a fun run, mountain bike, motocross and 4×4 off-road challenges.
In 1995, the Guinness Book of World Records cited mangoes grown in this province, especially the “Sweet Elena” strain or the carabao or “dinamulag” variety, as the world’s sweetest. It is also recognized as such by the Department of Agriculture in 2013.
The province takes pride in its vast mango plantations covering 7,558 hectares tilled by at least 5,000 farmers. Among the provinces in Central Luzon, it leads in mango production, accounting for 36 percent.
For its bountiful harvest, the mango festival has been celebrated since 1999.
However, recent records showed that mango production in the province has dropped.
Records in 2022 showed that mango production in the province was only 17,975.31 metric tons from 396,181 trees, or an average yield of only 2.378 tons per hectare, which is way below the national average of 12 tons per hectare.
In an attempt to increase mango production, the provincial government last year created a four-year pioneering program, the Mango Green Valley Project that will actively promote and expand the cultivation of the Sweet Elena variety.
