The Department of Tourism (DOT), through its Central Luzon office, is set to hold a "culinary adventure tour" that aims to showcase th rich food history of the region, particularly Pampanga which is dubbed the "Culinary Capital" of the Philippines.
The event dubbed "Flavors of Pampanga: Manyaman!" will feature the region’s diverse food heritage through cooking demonstrations of culinary experts, including chef de cuisines from hotels in Clark, Pampanga.
"Pampanga is a leading proponent of culinary tourism in the Philippines and we would like to thank everyone from this region who have supported, promoted, and furthered culinary tourism. The desire to eat good food and immerse oneself in a culture through its cuisine is a powerful motivator for traveling," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement on Wednesday, May 26.
The event, which will be broadcasted live and streamed online through the DOT-Region III's official Facebook page, will be launched on Friday, May 28.
"Food is one of the strengths of the region and we want to enrich tourists’ experience by sharing with them our heritage and culture through our food," Puyat said.
"We will conduct food mapping for the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan so that we have an inventory of the heirloom dishes and where all ingredients are coming from. This will be significant in a more sustainable culinary tourism plan," she added.
The DOT chief also noted that one of the tourism circuits that the department is crafting is a "Farm, Food and Pilgrimage Tour" covering the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija.
The tour will include farm-to-table activities; savoring authentic Kapampangan dishes while enjoying the scenic view of Mt. Arayat; visiting the Herencia de Bacolor farm resort in Pampanga, the iconic Monasterio de Tarlac, the Dueg-Kapya Ken in San Clemente, Tarlac, and the Mudita Glamping Resort in San Jose, Tarlac, where rooms are made of nipa huts in the middle of a rice field.
In Nueva Ecija, tourists can visit the Argamosa Farm, a Balinese-inspired resort with farm-to-table activities; the scenic Colosboa Hills; Mt. Bulaylay in Cuyapo; and the Shrine of the Holy Face of Jesus in Nampicuan.
As part of its efforts to further enrich its food tourism, the DOT-Region III is also organizing "¡SABROSO! – A Filipino and Spanish Food Fair", where Spanish-inspired Filipino dishes will be showcased. These will be prepared and demonstrated by renowned celebrity chefs from Central Luzon.
The regional office will also launch a "Slow Food, Slow Travel Caravan" featuring the slow food of Bacolor, Lubao, and Sasmuan heirloom recipes in Pampanga. Slow food is a concept that seeks to preserve traditional cuisines and promote sustainable preparation of food.
Aside from promoting the region's traditional cuisines, the DOT has also created tourism circuits for travelers who want different kinds of adventure.
The circuits include Eco and Adventure Tour in Nueva Ecija and Aurora; River Adventure in Bulacan and Eco and Wine Farm featuring various farms and vineyards in Tarlac; and a Soul Circuit--an inter-regional tour that will include the Manila Bay Cruise, Cavite’s Corregidor, Bataan’s Mt. Samat and Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.
Leisure travel is now allowed in the province of Pampanga, subject to health and safety protocols set by the local government unit.
However, only essential travel is allowed in and out of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal -- collectively known as the NCR-plus -- which is still under general community quarantine "with heightened restrictions" until May 31.