THE best of Cebu has come together for the month-long celebration of the Cebu Food and Wine Festival 2024.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco graced the event as guest of honor on its opening day at Fili Hotel, NUSTAR Casino and Resort in Cebu City, Saturday (June 1).
In her speech, the tourism chief described the event as a celebration of culinary excellence.
“I am delighted to join all of you this evening at the Cebu Food and Wine Festival as we mark this milestone in our collaborative efforts to elevate Cebu, and the Philippines as a premiere destination for food and wine enthusiasts from all over the world,” she said.
“Taste Cebu: Food and Wine Festival 2024 is a celebration of culinary excellence. The showcase of the rich and diverse gastronomic landscape and heritage of Cebu allows participants to immerse themselves in the vibrant food culture of these 167 islands that, like you, I’m proud to call my home,” she added.
Secretary Frasco emphasized that the conduct of such an event is aligned with the DOT’s gastronomy framework and the approved National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023 to 2028 under the Marcos administration which identified gastronomy as a priority tourism.
“The Cebu Food and Wine Festival drives tourism and actively supports the livelihoods of our hard working farmers and fisherfolk, growers, suppliers, artisans, and small and medium enterprises, thereby, generating a positive social economic impact in the region. We do have to give credit where credit is due,” she noted.
Titled “Taste Cebu”, this year’s Food and Wine Festival features 15 tasting stations meticulously curated to showcase the finest local produce and Cebu’s culinary treasures guided by three-award winning chefs, Davin Thien, Lisa Revilla Thien, and Sau Del Rosario.
It also features degustation menu from NUSTAR’s Executive Chef Martin Rebolledo Jr., Executive Pastry Chef Rolando Macatangay, Sous Chef Randell Mark Jugalbot, and Chef de Cuisine Lloyd Rommell Cabalhin.
An exquisite selection of over 50 wines and spirits were also carefully chosen to complement the flavors of the cuisines.
According to Chef Kate Dychangco-Anzani, the founder and chairperson of Cebu Food and Wine Festival, the framework of the festival will travel to 18 locations around the country, including Manila, Palawan, Davao, Siargao, Iloilo, and Baguio.
Meanwhile, on June 26 to 28, 2024, the country will be hosting the 36th Joint Meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UN Tourism Commission for South Asia (36th CAP-CSA) and the First UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific also in Cebu.
Editor’s Note: This article has been sourced from the Department of Tourism – Philippines Facebook Page.
