2023 NATIONAL FOOD FAIR HIGHLIGHTS INNOVATIONS AND GLOBAL FOOD TRENDS

The theme “Go Discover, Taste, Enjoy!” for the upcoming 2023 National Food Fair truly embodies this much-awaited event, as it highlights the fusion of science and tradition in bringing innovations into the Philippine food industry. Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (DTI-BDTP) in partnership with the DTI-Regional Operations Group (DTI-ROG), the 2023 National Food Fair will be held from July 12-16, at Megatrade Halls 1-3, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

Grounded on landmark research at state colleges and universities, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Science and Technology, the event will introduce trailblazing products generated by biotechnology as well as production techniques that have the potential to disrupt the food value chain. These will be showcased in the Philippine Food Industry Innovation Lounge as well as in the exhibits of the Innovative and Biotech Products Cluster.

The Philippines is among the world’s top coconut producers, and the 2023 National Food Fair will continue to showcase this wealth-generating product through the Philippine Coconut Industry Pavilion and Coconut-based MSME Cluster. As part of the promotional activities, a series of “Cooking with Coconut” short videos will be released on BDTP’s social media accounts ahead of the event.

Meanwhile, the Rural Agro-Industrial Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID Growth) Project, one of the DTI projects to be featured at the NFF aims to provide economic and sustainable development by helping smallholder farmers and stakeholders increase their income and generate employment through the value chain approach for selected products such as cacao, coffee, coconut and processed fruits and nuts.

During the five-day event, there will be a daily program of activities consisting of entrepreneurship talks, live cooking demonstrations by Chefs Claude Tayag, Boy Logro, Tatung Sarthou, Jam Melchor and Laudico Guevarra, wine-mixing tutorials, and presentations on various food and business-related topics. This is open to the public and free of charge. The daily program will also be livestreamed on BDTP social media channels for remote viewers.

“The 2023 National Food Fair is a physical show with an online counterpart on Lazada with featured exhibitors making their products available to all serviceable areas nationwide” said BDTP Director Marievic Bonoan.

To know more about the 2023 National Food Fair and other programs of the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, please follow their social media accounts on Facebook (DTI.BDTP), Instagram (dti.bdtp), and Twitter (@DTI_BDTP). You may also email BDTP Director Marievic M. Bononan at bdtp@dti.gov.ph.

National Food Fair: Eat, Shop and Learn

The DTI Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (BDTP) in partnership with the DTI Regional and Provincial Offices will conduct the 2020 National Food Fair on March 12-15 at SM Megatrade Halls 1-3, 5th level, Building B, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. Fair hours are from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily. Admission is free.

Billed as the Philippine Cuisine and Ingredients Show, the four-day retail and order-taking event will showcase over 280 food entrepreneurs from the regions featuring processed food, beverages, halal products, cooking ingredients, health and wellness products, as well as the best cuisines across the country.

Special settings and pavilions include the Rural Agro-Industrial Partnership for Inclusive Development (RAPID) Growth focusing on cocoa, coffee, processed fruits and nuts, and coconut industries; fresh produce from the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project (INREMP); and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

In addition to the KAPEtirya Coffee Pavilion, the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) will showcase a halal kitchen in conjunction with the Halal Food Plaza, while the Philippine Island Bar will feature local wines. There will also be booths promoting farm tourism and culinary tour packages, as well as on-site cooking demonstrations by featured chefs in the Kusinang Filipino.

The Department of Trade and Industry is setting up a one-stop Negosyo Center to provide assistance with business requirements and start-up concerns for aspiring entrepreneurs. There will be representatives from various DTI bureaus and attached agencies such as the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BSMED), Bureau of Import Services (BIS), Export Management Bureau (EMB), One Town, One Product (OTOP), Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), Design Center of the Philippines (DCP), and Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPhil).

Other related government offices will also have a presence, including the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Department of Health (DOH), and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) under the Department of Agriculture (DA).

To support the sustainability initiative, fair-goers are strongly encouraged to bring their own reusable shopping bags. For more information, please contact DTI-BDTP at telephone numbers (02) 7751-3223 and (02) 7791- 3102, or email bdtp@dti.gov.ph. Follow DTI-BDTP on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to get the latest news and updates.