DOT prepares Madrid Fusion Manila’s ‘third helping’

One of the highlights of Madrid Fusion Manila 2016. (Photo: Madrid Fusion Manila)

MANILA—For the third year in a row, the Department of Tourism (DOT) will be bringing the biggest culinary event in the world, Madrid Fusion, back to Manila.

Madrid Fusion Manila (MFM), which is slated on April 6 to 8 at the SMX Convention Center, will again feature the world’s biggest local and foreign culinary practitioners to discuss gastronomy, trade secrets and other practices.

Speaking on behalf of DOT Secretary Wanda Teo during the recent MFM 2017 launch in Spain, Director Verna Buensuceso of the DOT-Market Development Group (DOT-MDG) presented events in store during the MFM.

Buensuceso invited the audience to visit and participate in MFM’s three-fold components of the international gastronomy congress, exposition and the month-long Flavors of the Philippines which will be held nationwide.

She explained that the culinary industry in the country has been awakened and chefs and culinary students have been inspired by the world’s best chef-presenters at Madrid Fusión Manila.

“As a result, a number of chef associations have been born in many parts of our country. Our young Philippine chefs, who joined the 2016 Food Hotel Asia Culinary Competition in Singapore, were declared Overall Champion besting teams from 15 other countries,” she added.

Last January 24, international culinary experts, global food industry decision-makers, foodies, investor-businessmen, tourism executives, students and media packed the 1,000-seat auditorium of the Palacio Municipal de Congresos at the Campo de las Naciones in Madrid, Spain to witness the launch of the 2017 Madrid Fusion Manila (MFM) as part of the main events of Madrid Fusion 2017 in Spain.

Teo, in a statement, said that it was imperative to launch and conduct attendance promotion for MFM during MF in Spain as thousands of Spanish target travel markets were there.

She, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the organizers of MF for providing the country with a complimentary stand and other project support during the event.

The 12-square-meter Philippine stand provided by the Madrid Fusion organization was most strategically located at the main entrance of the Palacio Municipal de Congresos as it shared the venue’s entire ground floor only with Makro.

The stand was a lively scene of food tastings, product displays, and travel information targeted towards Spaniards and other nationalities, who attended the three-day activities.

Filipino favorite food and drinks such as chicken pork adobo, champorado, fried dilis, puto with coco jam, ensaymada, suman, turmeric tea, banana turrones with sesame seeds, cicharon, cornicks, pili nuts, among others were served to visitors who dropped by the stand. There were long lines to the cart for a cone or two of the “dirty ice crème” which came in ube, mango, buko, and other native fruit flavors.

Philippine export products which drew the interest of food enthusiasts and businessmen included instant food mixes, organic rice varieties, local wines and liquors, among others.

The Secretary also said the agency is currently optimizing its resources to enhance marketing and communications activities towards making the Philippines as Asia’s gastronomic capital and increasing tourist arrivals from Spain.