MANILA 22 July 2020 – For the 10th episode of “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Change Pathways” on the topic, “Culinary Heritage (Part 2),” culinary heritage experts and advocates will underscore the continuing efforts to document and map out local Filipino food to revitalize culinary heritage in the Philippines. 

The episode will air on Thursday, 23 July 2020, 10:00 AM, via Facebook at facebook.com/conglorenlegarda and facebook.com/CCCPhl/, to be hosted by House Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda.

Resource speakers include Chef Gaita Fores, 2016 Asia’s Best Female Chef and owner of several restaurants, including Cibo, Lusso, and Grace Park; food writer Ige Ramos; Rectito Melquiades, Coordinator of the Guiuan Recovery and Sustainable Group for Resilience in Eastern Samar; and Gatchi Gatchalian, restaurateur and President of the Davao Tourism Association. 

Arvin Villalon, National Cultural Mapping Facilitator from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), will be a reactor for this episode. 

In previous episodes, the online series tackled topics such as food gardening, saving seeds, permaculture, good nutrition and diet, sustainable urban mobility, and culinary heritage preservation, which were all framed in the context of promoting sustainable and healthy lives, while helping families and communities address the climate crisis.

The first part of the culinary heritage episode which aired last July 16 underscored the importance of preserving local food and culinary heritage through adaptive and sustainable diets. It also tackled the importance of celebrating the local food and culinary heritage of Filipinos and recognizing these as a form of art. It also called for the development of more sustainable and resilient food systems for healthier diets and improved nutrition of all Filipinos.

In this upcoming episode, Legarda will deepen the discussion on regional foods and cuisines, as well as underscore how the preservation of local food and culinary heritage promotes agrobiodiversity, an important adaptation strategy in reducing the impact of climate change on food security.

As an online discussion to promote health, environmental consciousness, and climate-adaptive practices, Stories for a Better Normal aims to change the mindset of individuals, families, and communities by demonstrating ways in which a “better normal” can be realized.
    
This online discussion is organized in partnership between the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, with support from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines, Mother Earth Foundation and Slow Food Network.