A new travel guide book with matching mobile application is now available for travelers on the lookout to find the best food choices in Metro Manila.
Metro Yummy Picks, the new travel companion released by the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT), was launched on December 19 at the Kain Na! food and travel trade fair. The guidebook’s initial 10,000 copies has been distributed to the nation’s airports, seaports, and malls.
“Metro Yummy Picks” is a 76-page glossy book featuring iconic culinary masterpieces like “inutak,” “pancit luglog,” “waknatoy,” and many more.
The accompanying mobile app is named, “My Metro Manila”, now also available on Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
The food choices from the guidebook feature three criteria:
- iconic attraction and popularity among locals and tourists alike
- long-shared history as a destination’s unique food offering/culture
- authentically rooted in the locality and a must-try when visiting the area
Each featured dish was carefully selected by the DOT, representatives from 17 DOT-partner local government units in the National Capital Region (NCR), local residents, restaurateurs, and renowned food writer Margaux Salcedo.
Culinary tours based on the book have been pledged by tour operators through the help of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) and the Philippine Tour Operators Association.
According to DOT-NCR Regional Director Woodrow Maquiling, the project was an “implicit invitation for tourists to stay longer in Metro Manila, and try the local flavors and the diverse food offerings available.”
Metro Yummy Picks hopes to shine a light on NCR’s rich and diverse food culture that can be uniquely found anywhere in the country. “This will surely serve foodies well because food and adventure are a perfect mix of a bestseller,” DOT Assistant Secretary Rica Bueno said, quoting Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat in her opening remarks. She added that “food is the one resource that draws people together and creatively connects us to local culture and tourism”.
The DOT has initiated several projects for its food tourism program, among them, a campaign video that featured Mikey Bustos, Pinoy Chefs, and Jollibee explaining why “Eats More Fun in the Philippines”, a Philippine culinary destination showcase project with Fil-Am Pinoy Celebrity Chefs featuring United Nations Gastronomy Tourism Ambassador Margarita Fores, and a farm tourism strategy that benefits farmers and fisherfolks.
SEND cheers to the tourism industry for this new tool to encourage travelers to stay in the Philippines!
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