A social enterprise holding an “eat-all-you-can” event in Manila featuring mangoes shipped from the province of Guimaras is pleading with customers not to ask for refunds after some patrons mistook it for a “take-home-all-you-can” affair.
Rural Rising, an initiative that helps local farmers around the country sell off their surplus produce, wrote a heartfelt post on Facebook asking consumers who pre-paid for tickets to the event to think twice before asking for a refund of their money, which would go towards the mango farmers of Guimaras.
Guimaras, also known as the Philippines’ mango capital, is largely responsible for the country’s export of mangoes, the nation’s third most-exported fruit.
Fresh off Guimaras’ recently concluded mango festival, Rural Rising decided to bring its traditional eat-all-you-can feast to Manila for the price of PHP200 (US$3.83).
“Allow me to put in my two personal cents about this Mango Eat-All-You-Can thing,” Rural Rising founder Ace Estrada wrote.
“Half a dozen members have asked for a refund already because they expected it to be like a box-all-you-can for mangoes. We refunded without question but come on guys, it’s 200 pesos. There is no way we could do that and still help the farmers. It’s [an] eat on the spot [event], and for that price, for the experience, for the fun and for the pictures, sobrang worth it na (it’s already worth it),” he added.
The founder added that they hoped the event’s profits would be enough to provide the farmers of Guimaras with sufficient income.
“That price point has us hoping that the law of averages would save us to save some farmers. A few people would eat 20 mangoes but most would eat five or six [mangoes]. It’s a big picture proposition meaning [we were hoping a few mangoes would be left] at the end of the day. Two people said something about blood sugar. How about eating 2 mangoes po, for the reason we need to do this?”
Estrada added that the PHP200 fee to feast on what is dubbed the “sweetest mangoes in the world” was a steal. “Andie and I spent no less than 35K (US$669.86) to fly to Guimaras to have a wonderful Mango Eat-All-You-Can experience. This is PHP200, this is in Manila, these are the same wonderful mangoes albeit smaller. This is helping [farmers]. Thank you to all those who did not ask for a refund. This is a huge help to the farmers.”
He also added that people are free to donate the PHP200 fee to help distribute the remaining mangoes to mall workers, security guards, and food delivery riders.
The Philippine mango, also known as the carabao mango, was declared the sweetest mango in the world by the Guinness World Records in 1995.
Rural Rising’s mango eat-all-you-can event will be held at the Market! Market! mall in Taguig City. Interested participants may register here.
