Promoting local dishes may empower communities

DABAWENYOS can empower local communities by supporting traditional food and heirloom dishes, a high-ranking official from the Department of Tourism-Davao Region (DOT-Davao).

“Dako ang potential ng mga product nila na nag-improve talaga so hopefully daghan makapalit og makatry sa ilahang produkto aron makatabang pod ta (There is a lot of potential with their products and we are seeing improvements. Hopefully, more will be able to try their food and could benefit them),” Tanya Rabat-Tan, DOT-Davao regional director, said in an interview.

Rabat-Tan said traditional dishes are crucial in preserving a place’s history and identity.

“Heirloom dishes often tell us a lot about a place’s history, resources, and identity... The beauty of drawing tourists for destinations with food is that we can empower our communities in becoming guardians of our cultural heritage,” Rabat-Tan said in a speech during Kalutong Pilipino opening ceremonies in Ayala Malls Abreeza, April 28.

Thus, Rabat-Tan said Kalutong Pilipino should help “the transmission of the knowledge of our unique cuisines for the generations to come”.

“[Let us] continue to support our industries, food tourism stakeholders, and most especially our agri-communities who all play a vital role in the culinary tourism ecosystem,” Rabat-Tan said.

The event is a part of a month-long celebration of “Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino,” under Proclamation 469 series of 2018 signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Since its [Kalutong Pilipino] inception in 2019, the event has always been well-participated by our stakeholders, our exhibitors, and hotels,” she said.

The exhibit has 12 booth spaces, six occupied by the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita (Kadiwa) market, and five provinces of Davao Region and Davao City occupied the other six. There will also be performances or cooking demonstrations from the provinces or traditional cooking.

“If you can see, mas daghan [vendors] (each stall has more vendors than the usual), naa pod silay (they also have) exhibitors na mga farmers,” Rabat-Tan said.

Kalutong Pilipino is a collaboration between DOT, Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) set on April 28 to 30, 2023. This aims to "promote traditional dishes and the harvest of Davao local farmers." ICE