Zambales provincial officials are gearing up for 16 major events for the much-awaited comeback of the Zambales Dinamulag Mango Festival after three pandemic years.
Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said the provincial government and various community organizations were busy preparing for the festival to be held in April.
“We expect more visitors coming to the festival this year because we have activities that would appeal to a wide range of audience,” the governor said.
“And Zambales is more than ready for them. That’s what we have been doing for the past two months—planning and preparing for this big event,” Ebdane said.
The Dinamulag Festival, named after the carabao mango variety found in Zambales, will kick off with the first Gov. Jun Ebdane Cup Fun Shoot, with participants coming from all over the country for a three-day shooting competition, April 21-23 at Camp Conrado Yap in Iba.
On April 24, locals and visitors alike are expected join the “Pulayo ha Dinamulag Festival” marathon, which will start at 5 a.m. with an Iba-Palauig-Iba route for various categories: 3km, 5km, 10km, 21km, and 40 km. This will be followed by the Mountain Bike Fun Ride in Iba on April 25, 7 a.m.
On April 26 at 8 p.m., the first event for the 2023 Binibining Zambales Pageant will happen at the festival grounds near the provincial capitol in Iba with the presentation of candidates and Talent Night event.
On April 28, the Mango Eat-All-You-Can buffet at the festival grounds will begin to give mango lovers a chance to savor the juicy sweetness of local mangoes at just P150 for 30 minutes.
A fireworks display at the festival grounds will cap the 2023 Zambales Dinamulag Mango Festival at 11 p.m. on April 30.