Mansanas is a Filipino word for apples. Mansanas is a Filipino word for apples. Apples are not native to the Philippines. For a long time, apple is something which Filipino people can not afford to buy and eat, it is an imported fruit, hence it is expensive which poor Filipinos can not afford and is usually available during the Christmas season. It was not until import liberalization in the 1980's did it become easier to buy apples in the Philippine markets.

I never learned to eat apples. I never learned to like it. Perhaps it is because we never eat them when I was a child. It was expensive and it was hard to find in the Philippines, it is an imported fruit and always seen on our table during Christmas season. There are so many apples where I am now, I can afford to buy as many as I like, in different varieties, but still I searched for Guava, Tamarind, Watermelon everytime I visit a farmers' market. I miss Duhat and other Filipino fruits more than ever.