Filipino Food Month Seen to Help Promote Local Agriculture

Posted by: 
Erika Z. Vizcarra

Local farmers and fishers also get the spotlight as the agriculture sector joins the celebration of the Filipino Food Month this April.

With the theme “Iba’t Ibang Luto, Pinoy ang Puso”, this year’s observance of the Filipino Food Month or Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino will showcase fresh produce, spices, meat products, and “lutong Pinoy” through the Kadiwa stores of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Authentic Filipino cuisine and regional recipes will also be featured in a webinar series by DA bureaus and attached agencies, including the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) network. Among the featured dishes from the ATI are “pinuneg” or meat-based sausage from the Cordilleras; “kaluko” or taro in sweet coconut milk from Bicol; “hubhob”, a local delicacy in Eastern Visayas made of cassava and coconut; and “palagsing” or sticky rice made from sago starch from Caraga.

The Filipino Food Month is an annual celebration led by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the DA, and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM). This is in accordance with Presidential Proclamation No. 469 of 2018, which aims to promote and preserve Filipino culinary treasures and traditions.

DA officials have expressed support for the celebration not only to strengthen the advocacy of cooking and eating native food, but also to promote the importance of local produce for nutrition, and help increase the income of farmers and fishers who continue to play a vital role in ensuring food security.

“We, at the Department of Agriculture, enjoin you to take a moment to reflect on the contributions of our farmers and fishers, for their food security contributions, and their roles as frontliners during the pandemic,” DA Secretary William Dar said in a statement.

Exhibits and a filmmaking competition will also be held to mark the occasion.

For the schedule of the webinars, visit the official Facebook pages of the Filipino Food Month and the ATI on @FilipinoFoodMonthOfficial and @atiinteractive, respectively. The series will stream on these platforms from April 7 to April 29, 2021.

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Filipino Food Month

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