‘Sweet Elena’ the best mango in the country?

Ask a resident of Zambales what is the best mango variety in the Philippines and his/her ready answer is: Sweet Elena.

The variety was discovered and identified by Dr. Ester Mariñas and Prof. Remedios Lim of the Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, San Marcelino (RMTU-SM) campus.

Sweet Elena has been registered with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC). The certificate of registration was awarded to Mrs. Pineda Malabed, owner of the mango tree in Sta. Cruz, Zambales, where the variety was first identified by RMTU researchers.

The certificate was awarded by Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. during the Mangoes Forum last year.

Today, 1.5 hectares on the RMTU San Marcelino campus are planted to Sweet Elena to maintain a source of quality planting materials.

Officials and selected staff members of the DA Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) headed by Director William C. Medrano visited the RMTU-SM campus recently to assess and document the university’s R&D projects.

On hand to exchange notes with the BAR team were RMTU officials and staff headed by Dr. Feliciano Rosete (president) and Dr. Renato Ruba (chancellor).

A comparative study indicated that Sweet Elena is superior to other leading mango varieties, including the "Talaban and "Fresco" of Guimaras, MMSU Gold of the Ilocos Region, and "Lamao" of Zambales.

"Sweet Elena is superior in terms of weight, sweetness, soluble solids, edibility of flesh, and physical appearance," according to RMTU, as reported by BAR’s Rita T. dela Cruz. – Rudy A. Fernandez