AT THE very heart of Manila, on the first week of Filipino Food Month, the Noli me Tangere Garden in Luneta transformed into a food park. On April 3, assorted vendors from the Kilometer Zero Organization offered up dishes like Cebu lechon, Chicken Inasal, Ilocos Empanada, and Bicol Express. The food park, under the Philippine Eatsperience program, will be open from Friday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, at the Baluarte Plano Luneta de Sta. Isabel in Intramuros, there were more concessionaires (this time offering heavier regional fare; from the Intramuros Community Vendors), also part of the Eatsperience program. This will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Along with the food, the food joints also feature a weekly lineup of food demonstrations and activities.
In a speech, Department of Tourism (DoT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, “Today, we gather here at the Rizal Park not just to savor the sumptuous flavors that our nation offers but to recognize Filipino food and cuisines as pivotal to our cultural heritage. The Department of Tourism is fully committed to the task of preserving and elevating our culinary assets on both the domestic and international tourism markets.”
Eatsperience, launched in time for the celebration of the Filipino Food Month 2024 (Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino) is part of the DoT’s flagship project, the Philippine Experience Program (PEP). “This Philippine Eatsperience is a component of the Philippine Experience, and it highlights one of the most enjoyable things that you can experience when you visit or when you live in the Philippines: the Filipino fiesta,” she said. “Everywhere in the Philippines, wherever you may find yourself, whether up in the north, in Central Philippines or in the south, there is always a fiesta that is celebrated. And in these fiestas we show the best virtues of being Filipinos: compassion, generosity, and a sense of community towards others.”
Ms. Frasco quoted from the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023-2028, about its plans for the future of gastronomic tourism in the Philippines. The country’s cuisine as a whole is recognized on various lists and platforms, while in the case of Iloilo City, it has been listed as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) City of Gastronomy last year.
“We are crafting unique Culinary Tours and Circuits that allow connoisseurs and travelers alike to explore our gastronomic delights at the grassroots level. Through these, we aim to showcase the diversity and richness of our culinary traditions,” she said. — JLG
