Pampanga cements ‘culinary capital’ tag

The House of Representatives has affirmed Pampanga province as the “culinary capital of the Philippines,” approving on the third and final reading a draft measure making the title official.

Lawmakers at the plenary unanimously gave the final nod to House Bill No. 10634 which aims to further boost Pampanga’s stature as top destination for foodies.

HB 10634 would task the Department of Tourism to feature and promote the province and its distinction in all its regional and national promotional programs.

The measure seeking recognition of Pampanga’s “formidable” culinary history was primarily authored by former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (second district) and fellow Pampanga lawmakers Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. (third district), Anna York Bondoc (fourth district) and Carmelo Lazatin III (first district), and sponsored at the plenary by Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, chair of the House committee on tourism.“In Pampanga, talent in cooking and love for food permeates not just restaurants but every corner of every home. Every family member is both an iron chef with an entire household to please and a food critic with strong opinions on everything other family members cook,” the Pampanga lawmakers said in the bill.

Family heirlooms

“The most heavily guarded family heirlooms are not lola’s (grandmother’s) old love letters, but lola’s secret recipes,” they stressed, adding, “For Kapampangans, cooking and eating will always be a family affair.”

The lawmakers further cited the resourcefulness and creativity in turning anything edible into a delicious meal.

“With Pampanga’s centuries-old culinary history, it is no surprise that the country and the whole world are enamored. ‘Sisig,’ ‘tibuk-tibok,’ ‘turrones de casoy,’ San Nicolas, ‘tocino,’ ‘pindang damulag,’ ‘patcu,’ ‘buro,’ ‘adobong matua,’ ‘asadong malangi’ and ‘suklating batirul’ are no longer Pampanga’s little secrets, but the whole world’s as well,” they said.

Travel authority Conde Nast has included Pampanga in its Top 13 Unsung Food Destinations in the World, the only place in the Philippines that made the list.‘Greatest pork dish’

According to the lawmakers, the New York Times described sisig as “arguably the greatest pork dish on Earth,” and the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain claimed the Kapampangan dish was everything he loved about food.

On Tuesday, Jam Melchor, founder of the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement, said the passage in the House was “eventful” and “a reason for celebration.”

On Feb. 26, the Pampanga provincial board passed Ordinance No. 863 that officially declared Pampanga the “culinary capital of the Philippines” due to its “long, uninterrupted reputation for being home to culinary talents—from the chefs who cooked for the Malolos Congress in Barasoain, Malolos, Bulacan, in 1898 to those who prepared meals for athletes at the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019.” Gov. Dennis Pineda approved the ordinance on March 7.

The legislative board also recognized Pampanga’s contribution to producing some of the country’s top culinary experts.

The Center for Kapampangan Studies at Holy Angel University hosted its first International Conference on Kapampangan Cuisine and Food Tourism in late March. The event brought together culinary heritage advocates, food and family historians, chefs, gourmands and tourism students.

The conference featured 11 plenary sessions, 36 parallel talks, 10 cooking demonstrations, an art exhibit and discussions on the rich culinary identity of the Kapampangan region. —WITH A REPORT FROM TONETTE T. OREJAS INQ