The first ever mango congress will be conducted in the historic peninsula of Bataan this year. Mango, known in the science world as "Mangifiera indicia," is the country's national fruit and also our most important fruit crop, commercially speaking.

Bataan is known for its Lamao variety, the taste of which is still unmatched the world over. The delicate balance between sweetness and acidic taste is the reason that makes the Bataan Lamao variety famous.

She said that mango business plays a vital role in upgrading the economy not only of the province but also of the country as a whole. The demand for processed mango products in supermarketes and groceries are increasingly visible like dehydrated mangoes, puree, mango juice, pickled and mango scoops in syrups.

Likewise, ripe mango is a welcome addition to tropical fruit salads, confectionaries, ice cream, sherbets and bakery products. It is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C.

Inieto commented that the world demand for mango is on the rise, and the Philippines is the world's second top mango exporter, and number one in Asia. Neighboring Asian countries like Hongkong and Singapore have been importing the Philippine fresh mangoes and after a long period of time, Philippines was able to enter the Australian market.

In a related development, a two-day mango congress will be held on May 11 and 12 in Balanga City to be participated in by mango growers, mango contractors, nursery operators, extension workers, fertilizer and pesticide dealers, traders, processors, educators, and researchers.

Activities such as mango symposium and booth display will be undertaken wherein processed, fresh fruits and inputs on new technologies will be the main display on the booth coming from the processors, dealers and private companies.

The following topics, according to Inieto, will be discussed to strengthen the industry in the province: updates of the mango industry in the province, mango insect's pests and diseases, mango off-season production, update on post harvest technologies, production concerns such as cultural management of bearing and non-bearing trees, update on processing technologies, credit availability, market matching and formation of Bataan Mango Industry Association (BMIA).

She elaborated the objectives of the mango congress as follows:

• to provide a forum of synergy among the key players of the mango industry in the province;
• to strengthen the linkages and partnership among the mango industry players in the province;
• to provide a forum of advocacy to local and national government to support the mango industry development in Bataan;
• to provide updates on carabao mango and other promising mango cultivars / strain;
• to promote off-season production and post harvest technologies;
• to map out strategies to sustain the production of world-class province-grown mangoes; and
• to provide information on market trends, both local and foreign markets, and marketing strategies.

Theme of the mango congress is "Empowerment and Strengthening of Mango Industry and Stakeholders for the Improvement of Mango Industry in Bataan." (PIA-MMIO/Bataan News Service Apr. '05)