Guimaras, More than Just Mangoes (Part I)
© Eva Goyena
A place where mango tree population is greater than its inhabitants, Guimaras takes pride as the Philippine exporter of mangoes. This province is composed of a small island and neighboring islets (some are as small as 50 square-meters) resting between the provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental. Both Negros and Iloilo are best jump-off point to Guimaras.
From what was supposed to be just a weekend getaway in Iloilo, we extended it for another two days to accommodate my yearned adventures in the so called “mango state.” Ilongos (natives of Iloilo) I met attested there are more than just mangoes in Guimaras---that further thrilled me to discover the rest. Would you like to join us? Pack your bags, and let’s go!
But before boarding the motorboat that would bring us to Jordan, the capital of Guimaras, let me give you this tip: don’t get annoyed if after you stepped on the land of Guimaras the local coastguards would inspect all your luggage. They are not alarmed about Swiss knife or any metal objects, what they are guarding most are their mangoes ---they are watchful not to have their mangoes crossbreed. The point is, you can bring mangoes outside of Guimaras, but you can never bring in even a single one.
If you happen to have no idea of the best resort or getaway in this tiny province, you can conveniently drop by the provincial tourism which set up a small office beside the Jordan dockside, basically to provide immediate help to tourists. There are more than a dozen resorts in the coastline boasting of white beaches, but if you prefer more serene and rustic setting you definitely are my kind. Let’s go to island resorts!
A 100,000 square-meter islet in the southern side of Guimaras, called Nagarao Island Resort was our destination. One and a half hour jeepney ride from Jordan wharf across dusty roads brought us to a small private pier where I got really amazed with the unique way of announcing our arrival. We raised a red flag to signal our coming to the staff of the resort almost a kilometer away! With that initial experience I immediately felt the simplicity and candor of the place we were heading.
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