“Cebu Goes Culinary 2025” shaping Cebu as leading gastronomic destination

CEBU CITY – “Cebu Goes Culinary 2025”, the biggest cooking showdown in Cebu hopes to shape Cebu as a leading gastronomic destination and the Philippines as a place where food culture and tourism thrive hand in hand.

Judy Gabato, regional director, Department of Tourism (DOT-7) said this, in her message at the opening of the 2-day Cebu Goes Culinary 2025 showdown at the Sky Hall, SM Seaside City Cebu, September 26-27, with 740 participants from professional and student categories competing in 17 events.

The Hotel, Resort, and Restaurant Association of Cebu, Inc. (HRRACI) and the National Food Showdown organized the Cebu Goes Culinary every two years as a platform to showcase Cebu as the culinary hub of the Visayas by highlighting both heritage dishes and modern innovations.  The event reinforces Cebu’s identity as a culinary hub and beyond its image as a leisure and beach destination.

The competitions are grouped into five clusters such as Battle Royale and Klasika Moderna Kulinarya, highlight Filipino heritage cuisine, local ingredients, and the drive to elevate everyday dishes to world-class standards.  Culinary schools, hotels, and restaurants are also expected to display their creativity through tablescaping, dessert decoration, and innovative food presentations.

“We encourage all participants, whether competing, judging, supporting, or enjoying the experience, to see their role as part of a larger story, because we see the event as a competition that challenges participants to push the boundaries of creativity while staying true to their roots,” Gabato said.

Cebu Goes Culinary is a festival, a platform for learning, innovation, and collaboration, bringing together professionals, students, and dreamers. The Department of Tourism recognizes food as a powerful way to tell the Filipino story, integrating gastronomy into their tourism strategy, Gabato added.

She noted the importance of Cebu’s culinary heritage in showcasing the region’s culture and identity through food, adding that Cebu was included in the Michelin Guide's influencer strip, providing another opportunity to showcase the region's culinary heritage.

“The Philippines is recognized for its leadership in the slow food movement, with Bacolod City designated as the hub of Slow Food in Asia.  The country is hosting the upcoming Sierra Madre Asia Pacific event in November, which will gather advocates, chefs, and communities to champion biodiversity and sustainability,” Gabato bared.

The recognition of other Philippine destinations, such as UNESCO's City of Gastronomy in Angeles and Marana in the global culinary states, highlights the country's diverse culinary landscape, Gabato said that Cebu Goes Culinary is seen as an opportunity for Cebu's tourism stakeholders, producers, and culinary workers to showcase their heritage on a global stage.

Carmela Malagar, co-chair of Cebu Goes Culinary 2025 and HRRACI corporate secretary bared that the event allows participants to collaborate with national chefs and gain island-wide culinary exposure. The inclusion of the USDA Potato student competition, with a P20,000 prize, adds another layer of challenge and recognition for emerging talents. (Photos: MBCNewman)

 

Cebu Agri Food Summit 2025 bears fruit with farmers B2B connect

CEBU CITY – The San Antonio Farmers’ Association in Boljoon (SAFAB) secured a supply agreement with an established restaurant chain--the Nonki Japanese Restaurant in Mandaue City, for the steady supply of assorted agricultural produce for the restaurant’s daily needs.

“The first-ever Cebu Agri Konek Food Summit 2025 has definitely bore fruits with farmers finding business-to-business (B2B) connections. Farmers also received mentorship on financing, pricing, and compliance to help them connect directly with institutional buyers,” noted Benedict Que, Overall Chair of the Food Summit, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Champion for Agriculture and president of Golden Prince Hotel and Suites.

Organized by the Philippine Inno Ventures Agriculture Cooperative (PIVAC) in collaboration with CCCI, DA-Central Visayas (DA7), Province of Cebu, and the City of Cebu, the summit builds resilient food systems by connecting farmers directly with buyers and empowering them with the tools to thrive, Que said.

On September 1, Que with SAFAB president, Johnny Cairo were present during the group’s first delivery of over 206 kilos of cabbage and bundles of spring onions to Nonki Japanese Restaurant in Mandaue City with Chrislee Arong, Nonki’s vice president for general kitchen receiving the orders.

Nonki Restaurant already expressed demand for a wider range of fresh produce, including carrots, pechay, eggplant, garlic, ginger, lettuce, cucumber, radish, okra, parsley, potato, squash, tomato, onions, calamansi, watermelon, pineapple, oranges, and lakatan bananas, among others, Que bared in an interview with this writer.

According to Dr. Roldan Saragena, provincial agriculturist, this development already shows Cebuano farmers are now moving beyond traditional market selling and venturing into institutional supply partnerships.  He called on more institutional buyers to patronize local farm produce to further encourage farmers to increase production.

Capitol also reported that a popular shake brand is negotiating supply of lemonade from Dumanjug farmers, while a well-established bakery chain has requested various agricultural products to be sourced locally.

Que bared that there are now several businesses discussing with PIVAC on more possible direct B2B connections with local farmers.  On September 4, a group of Taiwanese businessmen were here in Cebu and connecting with him for B2B networking. (Photos: FB-Golden Prince Hotel & Suites)