“Mangan Taku!” Cordillera Food Fair Festival will now be celebrated every second week of April as part of the Sum Vac (Summer Vacation) activities of Baguio City. The ordinance was approved by the City Council on September 23, 2019 and was signed by Mayor Benjamin Magalong on October 2, 2019.
The week-long festival will feature cuisines and heirloom dishes from the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province including the preparation techniques by respective accomplished chefs from the said provinces. Food tasting of the authentic dishes will also be offered to the public after cooking demonstrations.
“The Mangan Taku Food Festival aims to put Cordilleran cuisine into the spotlight in order to boost culinary tourism in the Cordillera Region, which has evolved as a vital component of tourism, and in the over-all tourism experience of local and foreign visitors,” the ordinance reads.
Under the ordinance, a committee will be formed to facilitate the activities and programs of the festival. The committee’s duties will be as follows: Convene and plan for the conduct of the event; schedule the programs for the set dates and arrange for its proper venue; formulate the rules and regulations in the conduct of food preparation for the delegates from the different participating provinces, cleanliness and maintenance of security and order, and other rules to be observed; draft working plans for the putting-up of stalls to house participants and other beautification and/or landscaping ornaments; delegate security personnel to patrol the area during the event; and other activities that may be deemed necessary to ensure the success of the event.
The festival was first held last April 14, 2019 and was initiated by the Department of Tourism–Cordillera in partnership with the Tourism Promotions Board and supported by the Department of Agriculture and the City Government of Baguio. **Jordan G. Habbiling
