It’s not only beautiful tourist spots, historical places and wonderful handicrafts that are being marketed by the Department of Tourism (DOT)abroad but Filipino food as well.
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said, “We are upbeat about the prospects of seeing the Philippines becoming one of the world’s top culinary destinations, considering the unique and varied cuisine it can offer to foreign visitors.”
Ivatan Food
“Aside from the country’s 7,107 islands popular for its diverse natural and man-made attractions, Philippine cuisine remains one of the country’s best-kept secret, relatively unknown in many parts of the world,” said Durano.
Durano said on Monday, DOT treated Canadians to a taste of Filipino cuisine in the EAT! Vancouver World Culinary Travel Expo held at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada.
Philippine participation in the annual Canadian culinary travel expo is an integral part of its bid to introduce and promote the Philippines as a competitive culinary and travel destination.
Event-goers flocked to the Philippine Culinary Booth Pavilion where they got the chance to browse holiday destinations in the country as well as its culinary offerings.
The Philippines was a favorite among those who came to see the expo from Vancouver and other cities and town in the province of British Columbia.
Pleased to no end, Canadians who visited the Philippine booth also gathered tour programs and promotional materials of Travel Café Philippines concerning the Filipino restaurant’s special dishes and premium coffee.
The most liked item was Travel Café Philippines’ recipe booklet which contains the ingredients and procedures to cook some of the country’s most popular dishes like adobo and kare-kare.
A pioneering “branding initiative” for tourism promotions of the DOT, Travel Café Philippines is where foreign and local tourists alike can enjoy genuine Filipino cuisine and coffee, and travel a booking around the country.
Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotion Eduardo Jarque Jr. said, “As a part of the Philippine Cultural Tourism Program, Culinary Tourism hopes to introduce the Philippine flavors to the domestic and international scene to promote the country as a culinary destination.”
Jarque added that the rich culture of the Philippines is reflected in the country’s cuisine.
The guests were also treated to numerous give-away items including promotional shopping bags and luggage tags, and mouse pads with photos of the country’s top tourist destinations, as well as the popular mango-tamarind candy made and exported from Cebu City.
Hundreds of guests also queued to sign up for raffle items consisting of a Goldilocks Bakeshop gift basket of popular delicacies and pastries like polvoron, pili tart, and mammon, and Travel Café’s box of the country’s exotic coffee beans such as the Southern Tagalog’s Barako, Cordillera Mountain’s Benguet Brew, and Mt. Matutum’s Arabica of Mindanao.
Drawing the lucky winners of the raffle were Vice Consul Melanie Rita Balisi Diano of Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver and Director Rene De Los Santos of DOT San Francisco.
Culinary tour packages to Philippine destinations which are gaining popularity for its diverse and unique culinary products and cuisine are currently being offered.
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Nice to know that our government is really exerting this much effort to promote our country.
thats good to hear, with filipinos everywhere i think they should spread our culture more.
I guess the Philippine cuisine is not as famous as the thai cuisine.
But if it is as good, I would love to try it…
Philippine foods are terrific and unique compare to other cuisines. The tastes are very good!
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