Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 14) — Dozens of newcomers and favorites in the Filipino culinary scene take the spotlight at the Manila Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) in a bid to promote food tourism.
Organizers on Friday said the inaugural event aims to begin the journey to introduce the country as a culinary destination in Asia and the world.
The two-week festival highlights up and coming restaurateurs and entrepreneurs, while encouraging innovative and elevated Filipino dishes.
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We want to take the first steps towards making the Philippines a true global culinary powerhouse,” MFWF founder Spanky Enriquez said.
“Ang gusto natin mangyari talaga, makamit ng Pilipinas ‘yung level ng [We really want the Philippines to reach the level of] Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, food capital. Hindi lang ng Asya [Not just in Asia] but the whole world. We have all the restaurants, the chefs, the hotels and everyone here who can help to make that dream a reality for us,” he added.
The Department of Tourism (DOT), one of the co-presenters of the festival, praised the private sector’s initiative to highlight the food and gastronomy industry of the Philippines.Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco earlier identified food tourism as one of the aspects she wants to highlight during her term.
“It also aligns with the Department of Tourism’s thrust to equalize opportunities across various areas of the country. So ngayon nakikita natin hindi nalang Cebu, [So now we see that it’s not just Cebu] but also in other areas like northern Philippines and also here in Metro Manila. Nakikita natin na [We see that] this will really boost interest in food and gastronomy tourism,” DOT OIC-Undersecretary for Tourism Development Verna Buensuceso said.
“Yung mga turista kapag pumupunta dito sa Pilipinas 30% ng what they spend is on food and beverage. Importante talaga na maharness natin yung potential of food and gastronomy tourism kasi makakatulong yan sa expenditures of tourists coming in,” she added.
[Translation: Tourists who visit the Philippines spend 30% on food and beverage. It’s really important to harness the potential of food and gastronomy tourism because it can help in the expenditures of tourists coming in.]MFWF organizer Anton Diaz said boosting food tourism will also encourage the creation of more restaurants and hotels in the country.The event drew inspiration from the Cebu Food and Wine Festival, which aimed to revive the region’s food and beverage industry from the COVID-19 pandemic.Organizers said the festival will head to other parts of the country this year. It will be rolled out in Laoag in September and Davao in November.Following the July 14 kickoff, various events like a Sunday Lunch, chef collaborations, a food and wine tasting bazaar, pub crawl in Makati, and food stamping program will continue.
