An upland community in Tanay, Rizal is being eyed as an agro-tourism destination due to its vast pineapple plantations.
Barangay Madilay-dilay in Tanay boasts of some 150 hectares of pineapple farms that produce comparatively sweet pineapples just like its neighboring town of Pililla, Rizal.
Barangay Chairman Greg Manalo told Manila Bulletin that the hills on the Sierra Madre Mountain range have helped some 200 pineapple farmers who rely on the tropical fruit as their source of livelihood.
Manalo, who is also a pineapple grower, said the fruits that are harvested in his village make their way to Balintawak market in Quezon City, while some reach Urdaneta in Pangasinan as traders go to their farms directly to buy the pineapples from farmers in Barangay Madilay-Dilay.
The road to the pineapple plantation can be accessed from the Marikina-Rizal-Laguna-Quezon Highway (Marilaque Highway) via Barangay Sampaloc then to Barangay Daraitan, both in Tanay.
The hills of the village pprovide a vista of vast pineapple plantations as well as other vegetations that make the hills a potential agro-tourism site in the province of Rizal.
Manalo said the so-called "sea of clouds" can also be seen on Madilay-dilay’s hills before sunrise.
“Our weather here gets colder especially during the Christmas Season until early February with the temperature close to that of Tagaytay’s,” Manalo added.
Pine trees add to the natural beauty of the place.
There are no tourist accommodations yet in the village but those who want to view the "sea of clouds" are advised to coordinate first with the barangay office of Madilay-dilay or the Tanay Tourism Office at the municipal hall for proper guidance.
Guided tours are available.