This April, savor and enrich Filipino native cuisines as the whole nation mounts the celebration of the first-ever Filipino Food Month as per Presidential Proclamation no. 469, signed in 2018.
As the Philippines’ leading government agency for arts and culture, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), led by its chairman National Artist Virgilio S. Almario and Executive Director Rico S. Pableo Jr., and the country’s prime government agency responsible for the promotion of agricultural development, the Department of Agriculture (DA), led by its secretary Emmanuel Piñol, lead the celebration of Filipino Food Month through series of activities with the theme Ang Sarap: Piyesta ng Pagkaing Pilipino.
Filipino Food Month will be celebrated to promote, preserve, and ensure the transmission of vast culinary traditions and treasures to future generations, and to support and appreciate various industries, farmers, and agri-communities which benefit therefrom.
As it is the introduction of Filipino Food Month, this year’s month-long celebration of Filipino Food Month will offer a variety of events and activities that aim to establish the celebration of rich and diverse culinary tradition and treasures as part of Philippine’s cultural heritage as well as fostering the dynamic evolution of Filipino culinary arts.
The Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM), an organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Philippine cuisine, led by Chef Jam Melchor, as the main proponent of “Buwan ng Kulinaryang Filipino” and eventually signed as the Filipino Food Month, will also partake in the festival’s debut.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) will also partake in the festivity with their series of food fairs which will happen in different cities and regions around the country such as in Baguio City, Quezon, and Iloilo.
There will be launching at Orchid Gardens, San Fernando, Pampanga on April 5, 2019, in collaboration with local government unit (LGU) of Pampanga and Department of Tourism (DOT) Region III, which will have presentations, cooking demonstrations, and lectures about the food industry.
The Visayas will also celebrate the Filipino Food Month on April 11 and 12 at the Villareal Stadium, Roxas City, Capiz, which will feature Patubas (which means harvest) or farmers and fisherfolk day, Maninda, Luto, Ilos or a cooking competition among LGUs of Capiz, the Filipino Food Month formal launching, a seafood-themed street dance competition, and Food Trip sa Capiz. This will serve as a celebration alongside Capiz’ annual tourism and cultural event, the Capiztahan festivity that celebrates the founding anniversary of the civil government and showcases the richness of its agricultural and aquamarine resources.
DA, through its marketing arm, Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) will lead its annual TienDA from April 10 to 12 at the DA grounds, which will include: showcasing of indigenous products, cooking demonstration conducted by local cooks. TienDA is a venue for farmers and fishers to be able to directly sell their produce, and for consumers to be able to access products at its farm gate price.
CineKabalen also extends its support to the celebration through launching a competition opened on March 4 for Filipino filmmakers who have films that tackle culinary stories, traditions, and treasures of the Philippines.
For the whole month of April, expect multi-venue events all over the country. In Cavite, an exhibition entitled Sinag: Tracing Emilio Aguinaldo’s Palate will be operating through the whole month of April at Sarmiento-Panlilio Room, Museo De la Salle, De la Salle University-Dasmariñas City.
Pista sa Guevarra’s: Celebration of Filipino Food Flavors, Chef Rolando, and Jac Laudico’s own celebration at Guevarra’s, San Juan City, will be running from April 6 to April 30.
The Culinary Historians of the Philippines (CHOP) will dive deeper into the food and culture of our Moro brothers and sisters through hosting Bangsamoro Lunch and Lecture at Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati on April 13.
Republic of Taste: A Gastronomic Journey in South Luzon with food historian Guillermo ‘Ige’ Ramos will also celebrate the Filipino Food Month from April 26 to 28, 2019 at the SM City Rosario, Cavite.
A Filipino food writing workshop organized by The Write Mind, The Filipino Food Connection: Creating Stories from Heirloom and Homegrown Flavors, will be taking place on April 27, 2019, at Flame Restaurant, Discovery Primea, Makati.
Apart from these, World Disco Soup Day, will happen at the St. Scholastica’s College, Manila on April 27, 2019, in partnership with Slow Food Philippines, which aims is to turn potential food waste into soup for a feeding program.
And for the culminating activity, PCHM will hold a gala night titled “Ang Sarap! Philippine Food Festival Gala 2019” on April 30, 2019, at the Rizal Park Hotel, with the invited chefs and purveyors from all over the country.
For more details, please contact Mr. Rene Napeñas, head of the Public Affairs and Information Section, through 0928-5081057, 527-2192 loc 628, or through email address ncca.paio@gmail.com. Log on to www.ncca.gov.ph.
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