Filipino Food Month will continue to be celebrated this year amid the ongoing pandemic via online activities that aim to promote and preserve local culinary heritage and traditions.
With the theme "Iba’t Ibang Luto, Pinoy ang Puso (Different Dishes, Pinoy at Heart)," the month-long event will be led by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM) this coming April.
According to the NCCA, the theme reflects the importance of the culinary arts and tradition in the identity of Filipinos and how it forms and transforms our consciousness.
In line with the "new normal" guidelines that have resulted from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Filipino Food Month 2021 will be celebrated through a webinar, an online exhibition, and a filmmaking competition.
The webinar dubbed "Philippines on a Plate" will bring together Filipino farmers, culinary historians, chefs, and gastronomic experts from the local food industry to discuss how we can influence local food cultivation and establish preservation initiatives that can transform the eating landscape.
This 60-minute free online seminar is scheduled to run on all Tuesdays and Thursdays of April and will also be streamed on the Filipino Food Month social media pages.
Meanwhile, research on the unsung "Culinary Heritage of the Philippines" will be translated in an online exhibition that will feature 15 traditional cuisines from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The month-long exhibition will also highlight the indigenous food of different cultural communities.
The short film competition, dubbed "Cuisinema/Kusinema", will be held in parentship with CineKabalen to encourage Filipino Filmmakers from different regions to showcase and promote their own culinary heritage traditions and practices. They are expected to do so by featuring the production of local ingredients and the preparation of their heirloom dishes on film.
Additional details regarding this year's Filipino Food Month celebration will be posted on NCCA's website. Interested participants can also contact NCCA's Public Affairs and Information Office through 0928-5081057, 527-2192 loc 625, or through email address [email protected].
President Duterte signed on April 13, 2018 Presidential Proclamation No. 469 declaring the month of April as National Filipino Food Month.