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This year's Filipino Food Month is hosted by the City of Iloilo with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Department of Tourism, Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement.
Released
ILOILO, Philippines — The new redeveloped Central Market in Iloilo illustrates Ilonggos’ love for their food with its carefully planned layout of connecting the old market with a commercial space that houses many local brands.
Stalls that sell dried fish and goods directly connect to the airconditioned commercial space that looks like a mall. The old market in the downtown city center offers the freshest bounties of the land and the sea, including local produce vital to Ilonggo food such as Kadyos, the black or purple legume that adds a nutty flavor to its popular slow-cooked hearty pork soup KBL (Kadyos Baboy Langka), and Batwan, the souring fruit used for soups such as KBL.
Those who want to refresh themselves after the palengke run or haul can just walk a few steps away to the commercial space. They can take a pick from the several coffee shops and dining concepts inside — none of which are foreign franchises. Rather, the cafes are proudly Ilonggo.
Madge Cafe, the popular coffee shop that originally opened in La Paz Market in the 1940s, has a branch at Central Market where their popular coffees and pastries are offered.
Their original location at the La Paz, the market that also saw renovations, has the same laidback al fresco charm, where regulars get their own personalized mugs as they sip their favorite Media Tab-ang (mild coffee with milk) or Media Puro (strong black coffee) paired with Madge’s Pan de Ciosa or Betchokoy.
The downtown area, a jeep away from the Mandurriao business district, is home to several good eats, including the Central Market.
Roberto’s at the Javellana Building along JM Basa Street still keeps a queue from both locals and tourists alike waiting to have their fill of their siopao, priced at P60 for regular to the jumbo-sized Queen at P180. For those, who like breads, there is a hole-in-the-wall bakery called Buho Bakery that sells freshly baked goods, the most popular are its pandesal and baked siopao. It needs Maps to be located because it is a non-descript literal hole-in-the-wall that has stood the test of time for the last 60 years.
Celebrating Filipino food
Also known as the City of Love, Iloilo was named the first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in the Philippines in October 2023.
The honor gives Iloilo the boost to host this year’s Filipino Food Month or Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino, celebrated every April through Presidential Proclamation No. 469 signed in April 2018.
With the theme “Connected by Taste: The Filipino Food in the Flavors of ASEAN,” this year’s Filipino Food Month is jointly hosted by the City of Iloilo with National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Tourism, Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement.
“We are proud to stand with our partners in promoting Filipino cuisine as well as empowering our local farmers and fisherfolk, and elevating our culinary heritage on the regional and global stage.
“At the heart of our identity as Ilonggos is our deep love for gastronomy one that reflects our history, our land, and our people. Ilonggo cuisine is known for its balance of flavors, where simplicity meets richness, and where every dish tells a story of tradition and community. From the comforting warmth of batchoy to the freshness of our seafood and the subtle sweetness that defines many of our dishes, our food is a celebration of who we are. It is this culinary heritage that continues to inspire innovation while staying rooted in authenticity, making Iloilo a true center of gastronomic excellence in the Philippines,” said Iloilo Mayor Raisa Trenas during the opening of the Filipino Food Month held at the Iloilo Terminal Market last April 6.
Trenas and other officials from NCCA opened the festivities with the ceremonial cutting of a Lechon, an apt opening to a month-long celebration of good food. A trade and food fair was simultaneously held during the opening week where guests and mallgoers were able to taste the best of Ilonggo food, such as KBL, La Paz Batchoy, Pancit Molo, and Arroz Valenciana, an Ilonggo-style Paella.
A Chefs Program also took place where chefs from Macao, Thailand, and Cambodia held cooking demonstrations in different Iloilo schools and universities.
