To live a life well-lived at Philippine Harvest: Sustainable Living, Food, and Travel fair

When I attended this event 2 days ago. I remember the farm tour that we had 2 years ago. (The 9th ATI OA Bloggers Trip). I learned so much from this trip, like if you’re seeing /eating a deformed guyabano, guava or any fruit for that matter. It is a sign that the fruit is organic or naturally grown. Organic fruits and vegetables taste good and sweet too, not to mention that they are free of pesticides. Since then, I have been checking on groceries and restaurants that support organic food. Then this event came up.

I have met cancer survivor owner Ms.Cherry Lo at her Sonrisa Farm booth. She was busy manning her booth with fresh organic produce during the event. I asked for a picture with her and she happily obliged.

I felt some kind of fulfillment when I attended event like these. My advocacy is that to help promote the farmers who are paving the way for a healthier generation of Filipinos by writing their stories.

I chanced upon this purple corn,  also known as "plant of remembrance" is packed with antioxidants. It fights obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. Two more important antioxidants found in purple corn are lutein and zeaxathinin, which is good for the eyes.

Philippine Harvest at Central Square continues to celebrate and promote the richness of Philippine agriculture through a three-day food and travel fair dubbed “Philippine Harvest: Sustainable Living, Food, and Travel,” that highlights farm tourism, local food, and tourist destinations around the country. This is the second edition under the helm of the Department of Tourism which will once again be showcased at Central Square, Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City from August 24 to 26, 2018. Central Square, the premiere lifestyle destination in the heart of the city, has been home to the Philippine Harvest series since 2016.

As an avenue where you can buy, bring home and enjoy organic, artisanal, natural, and indigenous products, the 1st edition themed “Philippine Harvest: Celebration of Philippine Food Destinations,” highlighted culinary destinations like Bicol, Negros Occidental, Cebu, and Davao. The four-day fair also served as an invitation to farmers, fisherfolk, and farm practitioners for an interactive dialogue and local food exhibition. Now on its 2nd run with the Department of Tourism, Philippine Harvest continues to celebrate good food and pay homage to the people that produce them.

“At the core of our programs and projects in the Department is our sustainable and responsible tourism advocacy which we aim to promote with this edition of Philippine Harvest,” shared DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

SSI (Stores Specialists, Inc.) Group and Central Square in partnership with the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board have brought together DOT-accredited farm sites across the different regions together with selected travel agencies and thirty local food exhibitors.

The food and travel expo will also present mini-lectures on sustainable tourism and sustainable dining, organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.

“We hope to develop sustainable farm tourism as a dependable source of income for Filipinos in line with implementation of the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016, which serves as one of our strategies for countryside development,” added Secretary Romulo-Puyat.

Among the Luzon-based farm tour operators joining the cause are the Terra Verde Eco Farm from Maragondon Cavite, Layog Country Farm from Mountain Province, Amancio’s Dairy and Produce Farm from Cordon Isabela, Tam-An Eco-Tourism Farm from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, The FarmHouse by EDL from Capas, Tarlac, and Amadeo Nurture Farmacy from Cavite.

The Visayas and Mindanao contingents include Sonrisa Farm from Magarao, Camarines Sur, Ephrathah Farms Corp. from Iloilo, BinahonAgroforesty Farm from Lantapan, Bukidnon, and Mariano’s Blooming Agri-Tourism Park from Tupi, South Cotabato.

Local produce from the partner exhibitors will also be bannered in the food show. These include dried seafood, coffee, heirloom rice, chocolate, craft beers, fruit wines, fresh fruits, and local sausages, among others.

SSI Group President Anton Huang said, “As we continue to provide lifestyle offerings to our consumers, we at SSI are proud to, once again, showcase the best of what the Philippines has to offer—not only for our guests to appreciate the Philippines’ finest flavors, but also to create more awareness when it comes to how our travels impact our planet. Travel has become a big part of all of our lives and this is our way of practicing this advocacy here in our own backyard, and presenting Filipino travelers with options and ideas.”

SSI Group, 30 Years of the Curated Life
On its 30th year, the SSI Group partners with one of the world’s leading banks, Citibank, to bring the Curated Life to every Filipino with rewarding shopping experiences and perks. With a retail network of over 600 stores and various retail format offerings, the SSI Group continues to make an impact on the lifestyle values of its consumers, by inspiring, enabling, indulging, and rallying them to live a life well-lived—a life that’s well-curated.

7, 641 islands without leaving the city

Craving for a taste of your favorite Filipino dishes but you’re stuck in the Metro? Worry not for this April, several hotels and restaurants are giving you the chance to savor the Flavors of the Philippines with special dishes that are available for this month.

Flavors of the Philippines 2017 is the third year of the month-long gastronomic celebration of Filipino cuisine mounted by the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board.
Check out this list to not miss out on this special culinary experience.

Alta’s Spanish X Pinoy set menu

Enjoy the medley of the flavors of Spain and the Philippines at Alta in Bonifacio Global City with
their Spanish X Pinoy set menus until April 30. Choose which set to treat yourself with: Huevos X Kabute, Rabano X Pipino, Pulpo X Camote X Balatinao, and Totija X Pomelo X Cocoa.
Alta is at 2/F Ascott BGC, 5th Avenue corner 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Grace Park’s unique menu offerings
Sample your taste buds with the sumptuous delights of the Mediterranean with some helpings of chorizo in a blanket, spaghettini with gulas, sun-dried tomatoes, calamarata, or callos in a palayok at Grace Park. Wash down all these flavors and cleanse your palate with a complimentary glass of red wine, white sangria, or a bottle of San Miguel beer.

Visit Grace Park at G/L One Rockwell, Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City

Jamon Iberico at Lusso
Allow yourself to indulge after the Holy Week and devour the prized treasure of Spain—the Jamon Iberico. Pair this heavenly goodness with some baby olives, Lartizan baguette, or salad tomatoes. You can also try their Croqueta Bar and eat your heart out with bacalao, Jamon Serrano, and lechon.
Head to Lusso at Space 1-115B G/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Brgy. San Lorenzo, Makati City

Drinks at The Pantry

Taste the new cocktail menu during the Happy Hour at The Pantry which presents an ingenious fusion of traditional and innovative flavors using exclusive vintages and limited edition spirits and liquors combined with homemade cooked ingredients. But if you plan to stay sober, you can drink your way to a healthy lifestyle with flavored fruit and herb water concoctions like lemon & coriander, lime & orange, orange & mintleaf, malunggay & dalandan, and kiwi, lemon, & basil.

The Pantry is at the Dusit Thani Manila in Ayala Center, Makati City

Halo Halo smoothie and bibingka at Café Janealo

Your favorite summer treat just got a makeover at Café Janealo as an iced milk snack with sweetened fruits topped with the glorious ube, ice cream, rice krispies, and grated cheese. Pair this rich smoothie with a steaming serving of bibingka and merienda just couldn’t be more perfect.
Visit Café Janealo at 398 Cabildo Street corner Beaterio Street, Intramuros, Manila

The country’s flavors at Barbara’s

Dine at Barbara’s to taste a menu of sinaunang potaje inspired by the cuisine of the different regions in the Philippines such as Ilocos, the Tagalog, Bicol, Visayas, and Mindanao. Have it for lunch with a serenading trio or at dinner with a Filipiniana dance troupe performance.
Head to Barbara’s at Plaza San Luis Complex, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila

Merienda Fiesta at MilkyWay Café

Here’s a reward for eating some of your Filipino favorites. For every order of pancit luglug and tokwa’t baboy combination at Milkyway, you’ll get a scoop of Milky Way ice cream in avocado, cheese, or ube.

MilkyWay Café is at the 2nd Floor of the Milkyway Building in Arnaiz Avenue corner Paseo de Roxas, Makati City

Ilustrado’s Inaugural Feast
Savor culinary masterpieces that showcase the Malolos heritage cuisine and a fusion of Filipino and international recipes prepared by the hotel’s master chefs.

Visit Ilustrado Restaurant and Café at 744 General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila

Bistro Trasierra’s Fiesta sa Amin

Experience a culinary feast featuring some Filipino home-cooked dishes from the different regions of the Philippines. Allow your mouth to enjoy a party of rich flavors with food Filipinos love to eat for almusal, tanghalian, merienda, and hapunan.
Bistro Trasierra is at the AIM Conference Center Manila in Benavidez Street corner Trasierra Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City

Seafood of the Philippines at Mama Rosa
Taste our seas bountiful natural resources with authentic Filipino dishes in Mama Rosa’s scrumptious menu of appetizers, main course, vegetables, pasta and noodles, and rice. Help yourself with some servings of kinilaw na isda, halaan soup, sinaing na tulingan, tuna adobado, seafood habhab, and pakbet—perfect for when you’re extending your Lenten diet.
Mama Rosa Filipino Restaurant and Deli is at 9 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Merienda Buffet at Seda
Have your fill of your merienda favorites in a modern Filipino twist with extraordinary taste and creative presentations in this festive buffet. From mini sandwiches and pastries, pancit bihon and palabok, champorado and arroz caldo, a variety of kakanin, fusion pizzas, to halo-halo and more desserts, it’s a carnival of flavors that will definitely make up a delightful afternoon.

Head to Seda at 30th Street corner 11th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Taste Luzon at Café Ilang-Ilang
Take a trip to the gastronomic spots of Luzon in this rollercoaster ride of dishes from Café Ilang-Ilang. Eat your way through the island with famous authentic Filipino recipes Bulacan’s rellenong manok, Ilocos’ poqui-poqui, Isabela’s pancit Cabagan, Quezon’s hardinerang baka, and Tuguegarao’s pancit batil-patong to name a few. Satisfy your sweet tooth and indulge into some desserts to cap your filling meal like maruya, ginataang halo-halo, minukmok, yema, tocino del cielo, and balinsasayaw.
Café Ilang-Ilang is at The Manila Hotel, One Rizal Park, Manila

Flavors of the Philippines 2017 is a nationwide culinary festival wherein different regions and provinces will showcase their unique cuisines through various events ranging from food tastings, specials meals and buffets, to community-wide fiestas, bazaars, and fairs. 

It is the local component of Madrid Fusion Manila, Spain’s famed culinary event and leading international gathering which brings elite international chefs and food experts in one venue to discuss evolution of tastes, trends in food, and food habits.

Make your recipes more special with Villa del Conte

Give your baked goodies a delightful twist with premium artisanal chocolates from Villa del Conte. Villa del Conte’s 500g chocolate bars offer a generous amount of rich and exciting flavors to make your favorite recipes even better. You may choose between the fine milk chocolate and 50% dark chocolate flavors for truly luscious cakes, cookies, pastries, dips and many more.

To get your very own chocolate bars, visit Villa del Conte stores at Greenbelt 5, Century City Mall, Shangri-la Mall, Resorts World, Alabang Town Center, and Robinson’s Magnolia. For bulk orders, please contact 893-2575 or 621-6101.

Go to http://www.villadelcontecioccolato.com to know more about Villa del Conte, or  follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VillaDelContePh,

Goldilocks Reaches 400th Store Milestone.

On an otherwise typical summer day – May 15, 1966 – two enterprising sisters and their sister-in-law opened a small bakeshop on a 70 square meter space along Pasong Tamo Street. Milagros Leelin-Yee, Clarita Leelin-Go, and Doris Wilson-Leelin had a simple set-up: two display cases, ten employees, and family members pitching in to help mix ingredients. The store was called “Goldilocks”, and true to its storybook namesake, it would establish a fairytale of its own.

Indeed, almost five decades later, Goldilocks is now the largest Filipino-owned bakeshop chain in the world.  More impressively, generations of Filipinos consider it not only as a brand, but a time-honored family tradition. As the company approaches its 50th year in the Philippines, Goldilocks continues to strengthen its position as a genuine Filipino Icon. Just recently, it added another impressive milestone to its long list of achievements by opening its 400th local store in Davao.

“Goldilocks has such a rich and storied heritage; now our legacy is being passed on to future generations, covering a wider scope,” affimed Goldilocks Marketing Director Pinky Yee. “Part of this is our continued focus on nationwide expansion, with a particular emphasis on areas outside Metro Manila,” she added. Evidently, this strategy has been highly successful, with the number of Goldilocks stores in the Philippines more than doubling in the past ten years (120% increase).

Yee likewise shared that this remarkable expansion has been greatly driven by the company’s franchising program. “We have been so fortunate to partner with highly motivate entrepreneurs who share the ideals and values of Goldilocks,” she explained. “Almost half of our stores are franchisees, with 60% of them being multi-unit owners. In fact, store number 400 here in Davao is a franchise.”

With 400 local stores (not to mention 24 branches in key cities in North America, and nine outlets in Bangkok, Thailand), iconic status, and unrivalled products, what can possibly remain in store for the bakeshop giant? “There’s always a way to serve our customers better, and you can rest assured that Goldilocks will find a way to continue discovering them,” Yee stated. “Looking forward, we will continue to pursue our company vision with determination and integrity – for Goldilocks to be the leading Filipino global brand, that will fulfill changing customer needs through world-class products and services,” she concluded.