CEBU CITY, Philippines – Mang Inasal, the Philippines’ Grill Expert, showcased some of the Philippines’ most iconic foods and brought it to a global stage at the first United Nations Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific.
The event was hosted by the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), and held last June 26, at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort in Cebu City.
Organized by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Basque Culinary Center, and the DOT, the Gastronomy Tourism Forum saw around 400 participants at the event, including ministers from UN member-states, affiliate members, and tourism stakeholders from international organizations.
In a statement, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, “We strongly see food as a crucial element in enhancing the Philippine cultural experience.”
Meanwhile, UNWTO said that “the First UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific aimed to serve as a platform to celebrate the power of gastronomy tourism and harness its transformative power for the benefit of local communities and the environment.”
During the forum, delegates were treated to a lunch themed “Tripping the Philippines” that featured different delicacies from the various regions of the country.
Mang Inasal was the only restaurant brand and the only member of the Jollibee Foods Corporation that was featured in the exhibit.
“We are grateful to DOT for giving Mang Inasal the opportunity to be part of this milestone event and to represent the Filipino cuisine,” said Mang Inasal president Mike V. Castro.
“We made sure that our international guests would remember what Ihaw-Sarap (deliciously grilled) means to us by giving them our Solo Fiesta which is a pack filled with the best of Philippine flavors including our Chicken Inasal, Pork BBQ, Lumpiang Togue, Palabok and Java Rice.”