Global Culinary Experts to join World Street Food Congress 2017 in Manila

Top heritage street food vendors and celebrity chefs from across the globe will soon flock Manila for an exciting five days of gastronomic adventure of local and international street food at the World Street Food Congress (WSFC) 2017.  Happening on May 31 – June 4, 2017 at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds, these experts will be sharing insights, developments and opportunities in street food heritage and culture in the World Street Food Dialogue. Over 30 authentic street food vendors from 13 nations, including Philippines, will be flown in to dazzle the foodies at the World Street Food Jamboree component.

Leading the roster of dialogue speakers are Anthony Bourdain, international food and travel celebrity, and Greg Drescher who is currently the vice-president of strategic initiatives and industry leadership at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Joining him are our country’s very own culinary maven, Claude Tayag, who specializes in Kapampangan dishes and owns the famous Bale Datung as well as Sau Del Rosario who is a proud owner of the popular modern Kapampangan café, Café Fleur and 25 Seeds, SARSA’s JP Anglo, and Rafael Jardeleza who is the founder of project director of the annual Tabu-an Western Visayas Ilonggo Heritage Cooking Competition and Food Fair.

Also included in the list of speakers are Mai Pham, author of several award-winning cookbooks including The Best of Vietnamese & Thai Cooking, Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table and Flavours of Asia and, Malcolm Lee who is the head chef and owner of the first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, Candlenut, to name a few.

Curated by K.F. Seetoh and organized by Makansutra and presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), this year’s WSFC17 is bigger and better with over 50 kinds of street food representing 13 different countries in over 30 stalls plus pop-up booths.

Aside from World Street Food Dialogue, the event will also host the World Street Food Jamboree, where you can sample different local and international street food and at the same time mingle with celebrity chefs at the cooking demo; and the World Street Food Awards, where the best of industry professionals will be awarded.

WSFC is one of the world’s biggest food destinations and with an even bigger and better event this year, it will sure to attract more global attention. This paves the way for the Philippines to be recognized as one of the world’s most go-to food destinations.

Ayala Foundation launches interactive art installation celebrating Moro Art

Manāra—the Arabic word for “minaret”—is the result of the creative collaboration between internationally acclaimed sculptor and painter Toym Imao and industrial designer and installation artist Lilianna Manahan.

Featuring 23 minarets and lanterns, the Manāra interactive art installation features Moro textiles, wood and metal work, music, and indigenous patterns. Manāra is a project of Ayala Foundation.

Traditionally, minarets served as lighthouses, providing light to people and vessels that needed to find their way. Minarets, which are also important architectural features of mosques, are also where calls to prayer are made.

Similarly, the Manāra art installation hopes to shed light on the richness and diversity of Moro culture, and in the process inspire a deeper understanding of Muslim Filipinos. At the same time, the interactive art installation serves as a call for unity—for Filipinos, even though they come from diverse backgrounds, to become more open to dialogue and cooperation.

“In an increasingly digital environment, art continues to be a powerful expression of today’s realities and an important medium to convey messages of enlightenment, action, and community. We see this interactive exhibit as an opportunity to promote awareness and further educate people about the rich and inspiring culture of Mindanao communities and the significant role the Moro culture plays in our country’s history and heritage,” Ayala Foundation Co-Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala said.

“The spirit of collaboration, mutual respect, and creativity shown in Manāra is the exact same spirit that we live by at Ayala Foundation,” says Ruel Maranan, president of Ayala Foundation. “Through our various initiatives in education, youth leadership, sustainable livelihood, and arts and culture, we make sure that we are aligned with the needs of our stakeholders, and focus on programs that make an impact in the lives of the people we serve, which include our conglomerate, our communities, and the rest of the country.”

For over 50 years, Ayala Foundation has been implementing community development initiatives in Mindanao. One of the foundation’s first projects was the Sumilao Cattle Research Project at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro in the 1960s. At present, the foundation has been nurturing its partnership with the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao for its youth leadership program Leadership Communities, and its education program Training Institute.

Ayala Foundation has also partnered with the City Government of Marawi for the community-based Siyapen Drug Rehabilitation Center, which was started earlier this year.

Guests are welcome to explore and interact with Manāra at the Ayala Museum Plaza from May 3 to May 30. The installation will then be brought to key sites in Visayas and Mindanao later this year.

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About Ayala Foundation

As the social development arm of the Ayala group of companies, Ayala Foundation envisions communities where people are creative, productive, self-reliant, and proud to be Filipino. Ayala Foundation's main program areas are Education, Youth Leadership, Sustainable Livelihood, and Arts and Culture. For more information, visit www.ayalafoundation.org, or “Like” facebook.com/ayalafoundation.

Jason Dy's Malaysian Moves

Back in 2015, Jason Dy conquered the local music scene when he won The Voice of the Philippines season two. Since then, his self-titled debut has spawned several hit singles, and his concerts have always been sold out. Having had success in his native land, Jason is now setting his sights on the world.

         

Jason—who has been dubbed The Philippines’ Voice of R&B—joined forces with Malaysian multi-hyphenate Fazura to record and release a single titled “Nothing Like Pag-ibig.” (They also did a version of that song for the Malaysian market titled “Nothing Like Cinta Ini.”)  It was written for them by Jungee Marcelo, one of the Philippines’ foremost hitmakers, and it talks about the universal power of love.

Love is universal because people from all corners of the globe and all walks of life know what it’s like to love and be loved. It doesn’t matter if we speak different languages, or if we live far away from each other. Love bonds us all. That’s what “Nothing Like Pag-ibig” is about.

Because the song is about such a relatable subject, it became a hit. Not just in the Philippines, where the song was first released, but also in Fazura’s hometown of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The song’s success over there was bolstered by the promo tour Jason and Fazura did recently.

Jason and Fazura started their Malaysian promo tour for “Nothing Like Cinta Ini” on the first day of May. Jason—who already had a fanbase in Malaysia because MCA Music released his single there too—gathered some of his fans at a bowling alley, where they played against Fazura and her fans.

It was a good thing that Jason and Fazura’s Malaysian promo tour got off to such a fun start, because the following day, May 2, was a very busy one for them. They got up early to perform “Nothing Like Cinta Ini” on Selamat Pagi Malaysia, which is the top morning show in Malaysia. (It’s like that country’s version of ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda.) Jason and Fazura followed that up with another performance on a popular women’s show called Wanita Hari Ini. Then, after a radio guesting on iM4U fm—a youth-skewing radio station in Malaysia—where they talked about what it was like for them to collaborate on “Nothing Like Cinta Ini,” Jason and Fazura performed on H Live, a music show produced by Astro, Malaysia’s number-one cable provider.

May 3 was Jason and Fazura’s last day promoting the song in Kuala Lumpur, and they spent it talking to the people at Radio Suria FM, as well as select members of the Malaysian entertainment press. After a new karaoke version of the “Nothing Like Pag-ibig” music video was launched at RedBox Malaysia, Jason and Fazura attended a Media Conference.

On May 4, Jason and Fazura flew to Kuching, Malaysia, where they appeared at the opening night of the ASEAN International Film Festival & Awards. The next day, they visited different radio stations, including Cats FM Sarawak Radio, Era FM Sarawak Radio, and Hitz FM Sarawak Radio to talk about the song.

May 6 was Jason’s last day in Malaysia, and he definitely ended his promo tour in a big way. He and Fazura sang “Nothing Like Pag-ibig” at the gala night of the ASEAN International Film Festival & Awards. Jason was the only Filipino invited to sing at that event. However, some Filipino celebrities—Benjamin Alves, Cherie Gil, Jaclyn Jose, Marlo Mortel and Nora Aunor—did get to watch with pride as he did his thing. Star Wars actor Donnie Yen was also in attendance, as were other noted actors and actresses from all over Southeast Asia.

It’s one thing to succeed in one’s home country, as Jason has done. Since he won The Voice of the Philippines season two, he has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the OPM scene. But it’s another thing, a big thing, to find success beyond our borders.

Jason is already a star in the Philippines, but as the success of his recent Malaysian promo tour shows, he’s making the right moves towards global recognition, too.

“Nothing Like Pag-ibig” and “Nothing Like Cinta Ini” is out on all digital platforms through streaming via Spotify, Spinnr, Apple Music and VEVO and through downloads via iTunes and Spinnr. Download or stream the track here: https://JasonDy.lnk.to/NothingLikePR

For bookings and inquiries, please contact Francis Dayao of MCA Music Artist Management at (632) 9162504, +639178935623 or email mcabooking@umusic.com