In observance of the Filipino Food Month (FFM) and the High-Value Crops (HVC) Week, the Department of Agriculture (DA) formally launched this year’s celebration two major activities for the month in a joyous back-to-back opening ceremonies last April 7 at the Department’s compound in Quezon City.

The FFM, known as Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino, is an annual collaborative activity among the DA, the Department of Tourism (DOT), the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM) pursuant to the Presidential Proclamation No. 469, series of 2018 and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2021. It is celebrated every April to promote and preserve Filipino cuisine as a national culinary heritage.

This year’s FFM celebration—guided by the theme, “Sarap ng Pagkaing Pilipino, Yaman ng Ating Kasaysayan, Kultura, at Pagkatao”—aims to underscore local agricultural produce as essential ingredients in Filipino cuisine, strengthen partnerships with various stakeholders, and establish a network of public and private actors to institutionalize the annual event.

This year’s celebration also marks the 30th anniversary of Republic Act No. 7900, better known as the High-Value Crops Development Act of 1995—a law that aims to help farmers earn more by planting crops like fruits, vegetables, spices, root crops, herbs and ornamentals among others.

Through these activities, the DA-HVCDP reaffirms its commitment to uplift the livelihood of farmers, promote nutritious food in families, and build resilient and self-sustaining farming communities, ultimately instilling the theme among the HVC sector and the public. ### (Text by Krystelle Ymari A. Vergara; Photos by Adones V. Buhayan, DA-AFID)