Balaba taps barangays to promote local food

Councilor Joyleen Mercedes “Girlie” Balaba has called on barangays to identify and showcase distinct local food heritage as part of the city’s tourism development efforts.

This was Balaba’s suggestion when a proposed an ordinance seeking to institutionalize a Regional Culinary Trail for Cagayan de Oro and neighboring localities was presented before the committee on tourism and sister relation, which she presided over.

“In Cagayan de Oro man gud, in every barangay naa sila’y distinct na gina-offer sa ilang pagkaon,” Balaba said.

She cited several examples of local food and culinary offerings, including humba and suman in Iponan, kasoy or cashew nuts in Lumbia, coffee shops in Nazareth, and lechon baboy along Burgos Street.

Balaba said the limited participation of some barangays in the Higalaay Festival represents a missed opportunity to introduce their distinct food offerings and products to visitors and residents.

She emphasized the potential of barangay-level culinary offerings to contribute to the city’s tourism identity by highlighting the unique food traditions and products found across its communities.

Vice Mayor Bebot, on the other hand, explained that the proposed Regional Culinary Trail would go beyond Cagayan de Oro and seek to cover and showcase culinary traditions and practices from localities within a 100-kilometer radius of the city, extending into Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Camiguin, and Bukidnon.

She cited the city’s historical identity as Cagayan de Misamis as part of the context for exploring culinary traditions connected to the city and its surrounding areas.

The proposed measure also seeks to identify and preserve old and emerging local specialties that could be recognized as part of Cagayan de Oro’s culinary heritage while promoting buy-local and farm-to-table initiatives and certifications. (PGU/SP)