DOT's food and travel festival champions culinary & farm tourism

Kain Na! returns for its more fun and delectable 2019 run.

Department of Tourism (DOT) organized a series of events around the country that focuses on food & farm tourism, in partnership with Ayala Malls.

This year Kain Na! highlights a food and farmer's market where suppliers of iconic Filipino heritage cuisine and delicacies will be selling their products alongside those from local farms. Exhibitors include regional farm tourism associations, farm owners and operators supported by partner agency, the Department of Agriculture (DA) as well as regional tour operators who will be selling various culinary and farm tourism packages.

Mall goers can enjoy culinary and farm tourism presentations to whet their appetites, including cooking demonstrations from regional chefs namely

• Ian Q. Jocson (Region 3), a 12-year veteran known for Kapampangan cuisine and specialties in Mediterranean, Korean and American cooking.
• Andre Perdigon Vocalan (Region 4A), who was “born to cook” local dishes like pansit-pusit, minanok na maruya, sinaing na tuligan, minaluto and hardinera.
• Rechie “Aya Medel” Hayakawa (Region 5), an actress turned-multi-awarded international chef whose originals include the Mayon 360, pinatos na bangkuli, and ensaladang pako buda baluko, and many more.
• Chef Nico Millanes (Region 6), who enhanced his local training with stints in the United States and Paris, France and whose specialties include Bacolod favorite Kadyos, Baboy and Lanka (KBL), and currently the Chef Patro of Terrasse Bistro and Banquets, Portiko Café, and Lounge, and Catch of the Day.
• Chef Sabino Resos (Region 8) who prides himself for his tahong salad with pomelo in chili sour dressing and tahong in wok-friend flat noodles with egg and vegetables.
• Chiko Arvin Cacanindin (Region 10), a multi-awarded young chef whose signature recipes include native chicken surol, beef rending and sinuglaw.
• Darence Patrick Co, a 23-year rising superstar from Davao City who turned professional at age 18, and then opened his first restaurant, The Fat Cow, in 2016, followed by the Asian Fat Cow in 2018.

Regional culinary and farm tourism sellers may also engage with Manila-based buyers and tour operators invited though the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), and the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) via the "Food and Farm Tourism Exchange."

The festival kicks off today (September 27) and will run until the 29th at the newly-opened Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City, with a showcase of offerings from Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Bicol, Bacolod, Eastern Visayas, Cagayan de Oro and the Davao region.

“We are very excited to hold this year’s Kain Na! events in the weeks to come, as we already tasted success when we launched the program last year,” said DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

Catch the Kain Na! editions at Alabang Town Center (October 4-6) featuring Regions 7 (Central Visayas) and 4B (MIMAROPA) ; Ayala Technohub-Baguio (October 11-13) with Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley) and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); Ayala Malls Centrio, Cagayan de Oro (November 22-24) with Regions 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 10 (Northern Mindanao), 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN), and 13 (Caraga); and Ayala Malls The Strip, Iloilo City (December 6-8) with Region 6 (Western Visayas).