By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo / Special to the BusinessMirror
THE Department of Tourism (DOT) has partnered with the Ayala Group in a nationwide food and travel festival dubbed “Kain Na!/Kaon Ta!” (Let’s eat!), which saw its grand regional lunch in Davao City over the weekend.
“Through ‘Kain Na!,’ we not only convey an invitation for guests to sample our local dishes but also showcase our own Filipino brand of friendliness and hospitality,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said in her speech at the Abreeza Mall, where the festival took place from December 7 to 9. “Food will always be a top-of-mind consideration in the places we visit. It is in the daily itineraries of our tourists and comprise a third of total traveler expenditure.”
The launch was attended by President Duterte and Ayala Group Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala with Ayala Land Inc. CEO Bernard Vincent Dy, along with Secretary to the Cabinet Karlo Alexei B. Nograles and other government officials and lawmakers.
Zobel de Ayala described the “Kain Na/Kaon Ta” events as “a beautiful opportunity to bring the public and private sectors together in the shared mission of promoting our country and our heritage.”
“At Ayala, we take our responsibility as developers of communities seriously and we take pride in our commitment to sustainability,” he added.
Zobel de Ayala said seven Ayala malls across the country will be home to the food and travel fest, “so that more of us Filipinos will share with us in celebrating our culture and our heritage.”
“We also look forward to the opportunity in learning more about farm tourism and new agriculture technologies, and ways in which we can continue to contribute to sustainable development whether as the public sector, private sector or as citizens, all of us together,” he added.
Exhibitors included hotels and restaurants, farm resorts, agro-industry groups, eco-farm
adventure parks, transport operators and academe, a statement from the organizers said.
The local tourism offices also presented specialty food products, coffee, vegetables, juices, handicrafts and culinary tour packages.
For his part, Duterte reaffirmed the importance of tourism in achieving inclusive growth and reducing poverty by creating more job opportunities for Filipinos.
He also lauded DOT’s approach in promoting Filipino cuisine as part of the country’s tourism attraction by making the Philippines a “center of food and gastronomy in the world.”
This initiative, the President added, would help create the image of the Philippines as a great culinary destination by bringing together local chefs, world-class dishes and other agricultural products.
“The unique but truly wonderful Filipino culinary experience is something that we should all be proud of,” Duterte said. “Let this gathering spark greater appreciation of our diverse cuisine as we steer Philippine agriculture and tourism into even greater heights.”
The project was started by Romulo Puyat when she was still undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture. Another food tourism projected that followed her to the DOT is the “Philippine Central Harvest,” which the agency now holds in partnership with Stores Specialists Inc.
Launched last October in Ayala malls in Legazpi City and Cebu, the “Kain Na!” series moved to Seda Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro in November. Last weekend, it was held simultaneously at the Marquee Mall in Angeles City, Pampanga, and at the Ayala Mall Solenad in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
On December 19 the series moves to Bacolod City; and to other regions in 2019.
Romulo Puyat said the food and travel series showcases the country’s “widely diverse culinary culture all over the country, to create awareness and interest on distinct Filipino cuisine and tourism destinations.”
“Travel experience is really more fun when served with the fusion of the unique Filipino hospitality and delectable Filipino food,” she added.