The Department of Agriculture (DA) joins the launch of the Filipino Food Month (FFM) or Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino at the Casa Buenas, Newport World Resorts on March 20, 2024. This year’s FFM, themed “Kalutong Filipino, Lakas ng Kabataang Makabago,” seeks to empower the youth as leaders to promote Philippine culinary heritage and gastronomy.
DA’s support to the celebration of FFM is very much aligned with its mission to support local food producers in terms of livelihood development and market linkage. Promoting local culinary heritage also creates demand for Philippine agricultural produce in local and international food and beverage markets.
Under the leadership and support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. through the administration’s Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance, and direction of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the DA has set in motion a three-year plan to increase the country’s agricultural productivity, make food affordable, ensure food security, and make farming and fisheries bankable investment options.
Moving towards “Masaganang Agrikultura, Maunlad na Ekonomiya,” the Department’s goal is to modernize Philippine agriculture, spreading benefits across the entire value chain.
“With this annual celebration, we are not only promoting our rich culinary tradition and its preservation, we also promote increased local food production and consumption and acknowledge the hard work of our farmers, fisherfolk, livestock and poultry raisers, and agri-preneurs who help ensure that safe, nutritious, and delicious food will always be available for every Filipino. In addition, through this celebration, we aim to develop our local agricultural products for export and expand our foreign markets,” Program Director for DA-Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Annray Villota-Rivera said.
In line with the year’s FFM celebration, the Agriculture Department will hold an exhibit and a Kadiwa trade fair at the DA Central Office in Quezon City in April. In addition, the “Ang Sarap! Philippine Food Festival” trade event will be staged from April 26–28, 2024 at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall to promote indigenous ingredients and raw materials, heritage produce, and culinary traditions of all regions nationwide. Both initiatives will be led by the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service.
The DA regional offices, bureaus, and attached agencies have also lined up different activities supporting the celebration such as cooking demos, seminars, and contests to further promote and develop culinary traditions and heritage in their respective areas and jurisdiction.
Since the signing of Presidential Proclamation No. 469 in 2018, every April—national government agencies and the private sector—DA, National Commission on Culture and the Arts, Department of Tourism, and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement collaborates to bring what the Filipino Food Month is today. ### (Ela Arciaga, DA-AFID)
