The best pineapples in the Philippines come, no doubt, from Mindanao. I was in my hometown Cagayan de Oro City last week, and gorged on sumptuous sweet 16 pineapples from Del Monte, offered to me by high school friends who now work with the company. I must say, the pineapples grown in their plantation in Bukidnon are world-class. I've tried pineapples from other provinces, such as South Cotabato, and even from other countries, such as Thailand and Indonesia, but they fall short of the succulence and sweetness of Bukidnon pineapples. Today the Philippines is the second largest producer of fresh pineapples, after Thailand.
I remember countless school field trips to the Del Monte cannery in Bugo, as well as to the plantation in Manolo Fortich, from where the plantation spreads to several municipalities. I still go home to Cagayan de Oro when I want the best fresh pineapples in the Philippines. For that matter, when I crave tropical fruit, I think of Northern Mindanao and its pineapples, papayas, mangoes, avocados, bananas, guavas, jackfruit, rambutan, even the lowly marang, which I particularly miss because it is nowhere to be found in Luzon or Visayas.
It helps that domest
ic carriers have slashed their fares to popular cities like Cagayan de Oro, and that budget airlines have offered cheaper fares. Any traveler, tourist or not, now has a compelling reason to visit the "Gateway to Northern Mindanao," a mere 70 minutes by plane from Manila. The first-time visitor to Cagayan de Oro will discover what its residents have known for a long time: that he will get more than what he pays for, starting with, of course, the queen of tropical fruit. While there, savor all the fresh pineapples you can. If you are thinking of bringing some home, make sure you are exiting with an empty luggage, because a dozen fresh pineapples can weigh 20 kilos, the baggage limit of most domestic airlines. You don't want the exorbitant excess baggage fee to cost more than the precious fruit you are carrying. When I chided an acquaintance who works at the aviation security desk at the Cagayan de Oro airport that my excess baggage fee was twice as expensive as the eight fresh pineapples I checked in, she laughed, "Don't waste any part of the fruit! Eat everything." Maybe I should have just cradled two pineapples on the plane as carry-on baggage, their value having doubled because of their weight. But to me, the juicy, yellow fruit was priceless. Indeed, for my next round of fresh tropical fruit craving, I will fly to Cagayan de Oro at whatever cost.*** This article is contributed by my very good friend who recently visited Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines --- it was a blast having enjoyed the freshest-tastiest pineapples ever! yummm!
