U.S. Embassy Photo Release
April 10, 2007

More Philippine Mangoes Now Exportable to the United States;
President Arroyo and Ambassador Kenney Tour Mango Plant

In a March 28 ceremony at the Hi-Las mango processing and packing plant in Taguig City, U.S. Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney and Philippine Agricultural Secretary Arthur Yap presented President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with the signed Work Plan for the export of mangoes to the United States, another step forward in the expanding agricultural relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines

After the ceremony, the group toured the plant to learn about how mangoes are treated, sorted, and packed for export. Pictured above (L to R) are Secretary Yap; Hi-Las President Roberto Amores; President Arroyo; Ambassador Kenney; and Gary Greene, Regional Director, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The Work Plan allows for increased export of Philippine mangoes, permitting mangoes from all provinces in the Philippines, except Palawan, to be exported to Hawaii and Guam. The Work Plan represents a formal agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Philippines Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). This agreement governs the mango vapor heat treatment and pre-clearance program, which is required to operate under general USDA-APHIS supervision and to be in full compliance with USDA-APHIS and BPI regulations.

Upon the request of the Philippine Government and as outlined in the agreement, a USDA inspector is currently visiting the country to certify the vapor heat treatment process at three local mango processing plants. The mangoes must undergo vapor heat treatment because there is no other acceptable method in practice in the Philippines. Upon development of appropriate irradiation facilities, that will be allowed in addition to vapor heat treatment.

The Philippines can also export mangoes from Guimaras Island to all parts of the United States, including the mainland, after vapor heat treatment. Thanks to a $2 million Food For Progress grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, the Philippines is also conducting research to establish protocols that will would qualify the Philippines to export more mangoes from all areas to the United States mainland.

Due to the presence of certain pests on other mango-growing islands, only mangoes from Guimaras are exportable to the United States mainland. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are working closely with their Filipino counterparts to research pest management strategies that would further open up world export markets for mangoes from the Philippines.

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For more information, visit the APHIS web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/newsroom.