ILOILO CITY – Indigenous products of Western Visayas were showcased in the one-week trade fair to mark the Filipino Food Month back-to-back with the High-Value Crops Week celebration this month.
During the opening ceremony held on Monday at Robinsons’ place here, Department of Agriculture (DA) regional executive director for Western Visayas Remelyn Recoter said Filipinos have been celebrating Filipino Food Month following the signing of Presidential Proclamation Order 469 by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018.
“This aims to create awareness among Filipinos of our indigenous food and at the same time this is also an avenue so that our farmers can sell their produce and for consumers to patronize our own products,” she said.
Recoter said the exhibit gathered foods and fruits that are seldom seen as she urged the public to have a taste of their offering.
A total of 13 farmer’s cooperatives and associations, farm-owners, and local government units regionwide offered wide range of agri-fishery commodities, value-added products, and local delicacies.
A cooking lecture and demonstration was also held to kick off the celebration.
The DA High Value Crops Development Program facilitated the lecture on urban and containerized farming on Monday, followed by lecture on coffee production on April 13, and cacao production on April 15.
This year’s celebration carries the theme “Iba’t Ibang Luto, Pinoy ang Puso”.PNA/PN
