MANILA, Philippines - Before the arrival of cheeseburgers, doughnuts and pizzas, Filipinos loved to snack on native delicacies such as bibingka. Almost every street corner had a vendor who sold these delicious delicacies.
Pinoys’ appetite for these native delicacies appears to have waned sometime in the 1980s when American fast food chains started sprouting all over the metropolis. The healthy bibingka and other native delicacies took a backseat to greasy and fattening burgers and fries.
Thanks to companies like FoodAsia Corp., native delicacies like bibingka have once again captured the attention of Pinoys. Through its more than 200 Bibingkinitan! stores spread all over the country, the company has not only revived local consumers’ love for bibingka but it also introduced Philippine cuisine to the world.
Bibingkinitan! thus became the country’s favorite native delicacy.
Just recently, the Department of Tourism (DOT), through the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), has officially recognized Bibingkinitan! as the Philippines’ version of cupcake. Under a Memorandum of Agreement inked between Food Asia Corp. and DOT-TPB, Bibingkinitan! products will henceforth be used in the government’s “More Fun in the Philippines†campaign in the country and around the world. The accord in effect signals the offering of food tourism in the country.
“I believe that tourism should not only be about visiting places, but rather the entire experience that we offer to tourists, which has to be both unique and memorable,†FoodAsia president & CEO Richard V. Sanz said.
“We call this concept ‘Food Tourism.’ This is why we do our part in promoting eco-tourism and we very much support the DOT and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) in promoting our beautiful country through our food, store network, and resources,†Sanz added.
Food Asia Corp.’s Bibingkinitan stores debuted in 2006. It offers mini-sized and high quality bibingkas that are priced competitively. Bibingkinitan! is now the country’s biggest bibingka and coffee chain.
Bibingka is a soft and moist rice cake made from 100 percent rice flour (galapong) topped with duck egg, cheddar cheese, and grated coconut. It’s a native delicacy that is consumed by Filipinos for merienda and is considered a special treat by those who attend the Simbang Gabi during the Christmas season.
The native delicacy is very unique to the Philippines and is healthier than fried snack foods.
Unlike fried snack foods, Bibingka is cooked using special ovens. What’s more, it is made of 100-percent rice flour. Some Filipinos like to put butter on their Bibingka to make it more savory.
DOT-TPB COO Domingo C. Enerio III said the government has decided to partner with Bibingkinitan! because of the potential of the private sector in promoting Philippine tourism. “Tourism should not only be an initiative by the government; the citizenry should be actively involved,†he pointed out.
As part of the partnership, Sanz said Bibingkinitan has started to expand its store network to the country’s airports, sea ports, and terminals to be able to make their products readily available and accessible to foreign visitors and local tourists as well.
Sanz said Food Asia Corp. plans to bring Bibingkinitan! to nearby Asian countries where the taste profile is similar to that of the Philippines. He said the company is currently ironing out a joint venture arrangement with prospective partners in Hong Kong and Singapore. If all goes well, Sanz said, the company may even branch out to the United States and Europe.
If the plan materializes, it will help boost efforts of the government to attract more tourists to the Philippines, more jobs for Filipinos and more revenue for industries that cater to foreign visitors.
“We want Filipinos to have a sense of pride in our local food,†Sanz enthused.