Closing and Turnover Ceremony of Filipino Food Month (Metropolitan Theater, City of Manila)

 

Conclusion and turnover ceremony of Filipino Food Month 2026 

Last May 6, Wednesday, the celebration of Filipino Food Month 2026, a month-long celebration of Filipino food and culinary heritage, officially concluded at the Metropolitan Theater Ballroom, the same venue where it was launched last April 6 with the theme, "Connected by Taste," focused on the appreciation, preservation, and innovation of Filipino food traditions.

 

Ms. Marichu G. Tellano (NCCA Deputy Executive Director for Administration and Support Services)

Dr. Paulo Benito S. Tugbang (DOT Office for Product Development Director)

The late afternoon affair, covered by online and print media, was attended by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Tourism (DOT, the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM), the four lead agencies of Filipino Food Month 2026.  During the closing ceremony, these four agencies looked back on the various projects and events held throughout the month-long celebration.

 

Mr. Jose Antonio Miguel “Jam” Melchor (PCHM Founder and President)

Atty. Genevieve E. Valicaria-Guevarra (DA Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs)

Hosting responsibilities for Filipino Food Month usually rotate annually among the four partner agencies and a highlight of the ceremony was the symbolic turnover of the hosting responsibilities, from the NCCA, to the DA, which will lead the celebration for 2027, through the presentation of a tingkep, a traditional handwoven lidded basket crafted by the Pala’wan Indigenous Peoples of Southern Palawan. The tingkep symbolizes the abundance, richness, and diversity of Philippine gastronomy.

 

Presentation of tingkop symbolizing the abundance, richness, and diversity of Philippine gastronomy

Representatives from the four lead agencies of Filipino Food Month 2026

During the event, partners were also recognized. Present were Ms. Marichu G. Tellano, NCCA Deputy Executive Director for Administration and Support Services; Dr. Paulo Benito S. Tugbang, DOT Office for Product Development Director, Mr. Jose Antonio Miguel “Jam” Melchor, PCHM Founder and President; and Atty. Genevieve E. Valicaria-Guevarra, DA Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs, who each delivered messages of support and solidarity for the continued promotion of Filipino culinary heritage.

 

Malabon National High School's Tanghalang Bagong Sibol Theatre and Dance Co.

The press conference and ceremony also featured  a cultural performance of Malabon National High School's  Tanghalang Bagong Sibol  Theater and Dance Co. (formed in 1997, it bagged awards during the 6th China-ASEAN Theatre Week in 2018) and a live performance of the Filipino Food Month theme song by Filipino folk musician, singer and song writer Ms. Junelle "Bayang" Otero-Barrios. The event culminated in an ASEAN-inspired celebratory merienda cena, reflecting the FFM 2026 theme and the Philippines' ASEAN chairship for the year.

 

Cocohogo at Destileria Limtuaco booth

Sampling champorado at the Kusina ni Mama Sita booth

Guests also got to try out Heirloom Rice + Cacao Champorado (roasted pure cacao blended with glutinous rice resulting in an intensely chocolate-flavored rice porridge) and Beef Pares from the Kusina ni Mama Sita booth as well as Cocohogo is a premium Philippine coconut cream liqueur launched by Destileria Limtuaco in August 2025. It blends real coconut cream with their signature pot-distilled rum, creating a velvety, tropical liqueur aimed at providing a smooth, "summer in a bottle" experience.