Philippine Harvest at Central Square runs this weekend, celebrating the richness of Philippine agriculture in a food and travel fair dubbed “Philippine Harvest: Sustainable Living, Food, and Travel.
It highlights farm tourism, local food, and tourist destinations around the country. This is the second edition under the helm of the Department of Tourism.
The fair runs August 24-26 at Central Square, Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Central Square, the premiere lifestyle destination in the heart of the city, has been home to the Philippine Harvest series since 2016.
Shoppers can choose organic, artisanal, natural, and indigenous products.
“At the core of our programs and projects in the Department is our sustainable and responsible tourism advocacy which we aim to promote with this edition of Philippine Harvest,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
SSI (Stores Specialists, Inc.) Group and Central Square, with the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board, has brought together DOT-accredited farm sites across the regions, with selected travel agencies and 30 food exhibitors.
The food and travel expo will also present mini-lectures on sustainable tourism and sustainable dining, organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.
“We hope to develop sustainable farm tourism as a dependable source of income for Filipinos in line with implementation of the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016, which serves as one of our strategies for countryside development,” added Romulo-Puyat.
Among the Luzon-based farm tour operators joining the cause are the Terra Verde Eco Farm from Maragondon Cavite, Layog Country Farm from Mountain Province, Amancio’s Dairy and Produce Farm from Cordon Isabela, Tam-An Eco-Tourism Farm from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, The FarmHouse by EDL from Capas, Tarlac, and Amadeo Nurture Farmacy from Cavite.
The Visayas and Mindanao contingents include Sonrisa Farm from Magarao, Camarines Sur, Ephrathah Farms Corp. from Iloilo, BinahonAgroforesty Farm from Lantapan, Bukidnon, and Mariano’s Blooming Agri-Tourism Park from Tupi, South Cotabato.
Local produce from the partner exhibitors will also be bannered in the food show. These include dried seafood, coffee, heirloom rice, chocolate, craft beers, fruit wines, fresh fruits, and local sausages, among others.
SSI Group President Anton Huang said, “As we continue to provide lifestyle offerings to our consumers, we at SSI are proud to, once again, showcase the best of what the Philippines has to offer—not only for our guests to appreciate the Philippines’ finest flavors, but also to create more awareness when it comes to how our travels impact our planet. Travel has become a big part of all of our lives and this is our way of practicing this advocacy here in our own backyard, and presenting Filipino travelers with options and ideas.”
SSI Group, 30 Years of the Curated Life
On its 30th year, the SSI Group partners with one of the world’s leading banks, Citibank, to bring the Curated Life to every Filipino with rewarding shopping experiences and perks. With a retail network of over 600 stores and various retail format offerings, the SSI Group continues to make an impact on the lifestyle values of its consumers, by inspiring, enabling, indulging, and rallying them to live a life well-lived—a life that’s well-curated.