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A Feast of Delectable 'Pagkaing Pinoy with a Taste of Science'



George Bernard Shaw once said, "There is no love sincerer than the love of food." Indeed, everybody will agree to this. As for Filipinos, we really love to eat not only three-times a day but more -- that might sound an overstatement yet accurate!

Unlike the traditional celebration of recipes and cuisines per town or province, a unique feast of Metro Manila's finest tastes filled a lot of people as the DOST-NCR, in partnership with the Lucky Chinatown and Megaworld Corporation, conducted DOST's first-ever Food Festival on 27-29 May 2022 at the Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Manila.

Anchored on the theme, "An Exploration of Science, Gastronomy and Heritage", the event featured the unique history and culture of various food products that can be found in Metro Manila, including firms assisted through the DOST's flagship programs Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) and Innovations for Filipinos Working Distantly from the Philippines (iFWD PH).

"We believe that it is high time to celebrate food that can be found in different cities of Metro Manila", DOST-NCR Regional Director Jose B. Patalinjug III mentioned during his opening message. "We celebrate this Food Festival to feature how there is science in food, and that where there is food, there is innovation," added RD Patalinjug.

The Food Festival showcased savory and authentic food options through a Mercato-style food fair as it included seven (7) notable products from the NCR such as the mouth-watering Balut of Pateros, crispy crackling of La Loma's Lechon, exotic taste of Valenzuela's Putong Polo, sweet-tangy Everlasting of Marikina, Spanish-style Bangus Gourmet of Muntinlupa, tasty Hopia of Taguig, and breads and pastries of Quezon City's Kamuning Bakery.

The event was a venue to highlight tradition and innovation, and feature culture and technology thriving in these products. "More than celebrating recipes and cuisines, we also celebrate the culture and heritage that lay past them. Through this Food Festival, we commemorate each of the food's unique stories, how they started, and how they continue to evolve through time", mentioned RD Patalinjug.

Moreover, 27 firms in the food industry, which received science and technology-based interventions from the DOST-NCR, were also featured during the event. Exhibitors were also able to sell their products and generate a total sale of around Php 330,000 during the 3-day event.

Aside from product selling, fora on SETUP 4.0, and Improving Product Quality through Food Safety were also organized.

The event was graced by DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Pena; Undersecretary for Regional Operations, Engr. Sancho A. Mabborang; Assistant Secretary for Administration and Legal Affairs, Dr. Teodoro M. Gatchalian; Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation, Dr. Leah J. Buendia; Megaworld Lifestyle Malls First Vice-President and Head, Mr. Graham M. Coates; VP & Head of Mall Operations Support Department, Mr. Rene C. Arnobit; AVP for Mall Operations Support Department, Mr. Michael G. Lao; Lucky Chinatown General Manager, Ms. Jocelyn M. Melitante; and Deputy General Manager, Ms. Sharlene P. Maglaque.