The recent pandemic and shortages of key ingredients for food have increased awareness of the value of Filipino cuisine and its production.
More than before, food isn’t only a matter of consumption; it’s also a matter of production, said Chef Jose Antonio Miguel “Jam” Melchor in a speech marking the beginning of Filipino Food Month (FFM). Increasingly people are enquiring about the moral implications of eating, such as “How is my food grown? The environment is affected in what ways? What effects does my food have on my body? How does it impact my ability to pay? Luckily, these trying times have inspired Filipinos to embrace the bayanihan spirit. People and organizations are starting food-rescue programs, holding debates on the socioanthropological and economic aspects of gastronomy, promoting the value of buying and supporting locally grown food, and cooking with a regard for tradition while also pushing for innovation.
Additionally, he emphasized the “unique potential to establish a stronger and better food system to address a number of systemic concerns and to guarantee that everyone has access to decent, clean, and fair food. To combat food insecurity, it is imperative that we all work together to preserve Filipino cuisine. Our culture and sense of self as Filipinos will always revolve around food. This distinction must be honored since it tells the nation’s story and unites the Filipino people.
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Business Mirror / By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
