TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Visayas is using food as a gateway to promote its culture and tourism potential as it showcased a wide array of traditional delicacies and local food products at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2026 – Love the Philippines Regional Showcase in Cebu City.
The regional showcase, held ahead of the main ATF activities from January 26 to 30 at the NuStar Hotel, featured culinary products that reflect the history, ingredients, and everyday food traditions of communities across Eastern Visayas.
Among the highlights were products from the “Secret Kitchens of Samar,” a collection of home-based food enterprises that included tahong (green mussel) chips from Jiabong paired with tinapa (smoked fish) cheesy dip, as well as gourmet tinapa and traditional smoked fish from Calbayog City.
Also drawing attention were karlang (taro) chips made from locally grown gabi, alongside sweet and snack specialties such as Mazapan de Pili, Roscas, and Corioso cookies from Catbalogan City.
Leyte’s well-known native delicacies were likewise featured, including vacuum-packed langka (jackfruit) and kamote (sweet potato) chips from Baybay City, and the popular moron from Abuyog and binagol from Dagami—both long regarded as favorite pasalubong items among visitors.
Moron is a traditional rice cake made of glutinous rice, coconut milk, and chocolate, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed, while binagol is a signature Leyte delicacy made from mashed giant taro mixed with coconut milk, sugar, and eggs, steamed inside a coconut shell wrapped in banana leaves. Its name comes from the Visayan word bagol, meaning coconut shell, which serves as both its cooking vessel and packaging.
Tourism officials said the featured products represent more than regional cuisine, noting that each delicacy tells a story of place, tradition, and community life in Eastern Visayas.
The Department of Tourism and its regional partners have identified food tourism as a growing driver of travel experiences, with local dishes such as suman, pastillas, smoked fish, and various kakanin increasingly incorporated into tour packages and visitor activities.
Also displayed at the event was the award-winning Secret Kitchens of Samar coffee table book, which received international recognition at the 30th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards as Best Regional Book in the World and Best Series in the World, and was named Best of the Best – Philippines (1995–2025).
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
