How about picking your own mango from a real mango tree in a farm a few kilometers away from Manila?

Having been declared as the first “agricultural tour” destination in the Philippines, Zambales is your next destination for a mango-picking experience.

Situated between picturesque mountains and scenic beaches, the province of Zambales is not only rich in mineral deposits but numerous resorts and interesting tourist sites as well. And yes, it is also home to the world’s sweetest mangoes as well.

These mangoes have put the province’s name into the Guinness Book of World Records by being recognized as the sweetest in the world. Now, the same sweet mangoes together with fine resorts and sites of interest have given the province a new prestige.

Developed by the Department of Tourism with support from the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PhilTOA) and Philippine Travel Agents Association (PTAA), the Agricultural Tour is seen as a new activity that can boost tourism in the country. The unique tour intertwines tourists’ fondness of the beach and site-seeing with a touch of educational understanding of the province’s successful agricultural development.

“This project was inspired by utilizing what we have here in Zambales, what we can offer to tourists and what they can enjoy which are not offered in other destinations in the world. The province is rich in agricultural products especially mangoes which are known and preferred internationally, so we thought why not include an agricultural part for the itinerary?” said Ryan Sebastian of the DoT’s Office of Product Research and Development.

“We started to develop an itinerary that balances what tourists usually enjoy like beaches and resorts. Then we tried to add an interesting educational part for mango and vegetable growing. When we were ready, we consulted the tour operators and they liked the idea. They saw a great potential in the project and that’s where it all began,” added Sebastian.

The Philippine’s green and ripe mangoes are already among the most sought after variant of the fruit in Asia. Dried Mangoes as well as the unique Mango Wine and Mango Rhum have also spurred the interest of international tourists for the national fruit. 

Sebastian also added that “The Philippine Mango has its own identity. It’s our national fruit and everyone is fond of mangoes. Aside from the province being recognized as having the sweetest mangoes in the world, we chose Zambales to start the agricultural tour because the province is also surrounded with fine resorts and great beaches so it’s a perfect place that can lure tourists into an agricultural tour.” 

An agricultural tour starts with a visit to the rural side of Zambales where tourists get to experience the joys of mango picking. The engaging activity pushes the participants to climb onto small branches to reach the desired fresh mangoes with the use of a customized stick. Later on the mangoes can be enjoyed on a spread of white sand beaches in the neighboring resorts scattered all over the province.

But dining, swimming and enjoying the views are just half of the fun in an agricultural tour. What makes this tour unique is the inclusion of lessons on how to grow and develop sweet tasting mangoes; visitors even get to plant their own mango seeds.

“Tourists from neighboring countries will be interested to come into the country and experience this unique tour since they are also into agricultural development. They would want to know more about our mangoes, everything about it, from seeding, growing and developing the fruit. They would come in for the mangoes and stay for the sites,” said Arjun Shroof of Shroff International Travel Care and member of the PhilTOA.

“I’m very excited about it and that’s why we are here in support of the Agricultural Tour. We believe that the tour has a market not only internationally but locally as well. The agricultural tour’s informative side will not only be interesting for foreigners but for Filipinos as well, especially for students,” added Cesar Cruz, PhilTOA president.