MANILA – A virtual ceremonial toast with customized wooden chalices marked the official start of the four-day Kain Na! Food and Travel Festival 2020 on Tuesday with chocolate, coffee and tea taking the spotlight.
"This year, we have reconfigured Kain Na! into a virtual event. And in doing so, we are actually expanding our platform and will now be able to reach out to an even wider audience online. We have crafted this year’s program to be responsive to the needs of our stakeholders. Kain Na 2020 endeavors to prepare our stakeholders for the transition to the new normal" said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who led the virtual toast.
Filipino products highlighted the launch of the virtual festival’s thematic approach in partnership with Ayala Malls.
Virtual symposiums during the Sept. 15-18 Food Tourism Exchange will feature some of the most prominent chocolatiers, inspiring coffee entrepreneurs, and new and relaxing tea experiences around the country.
“I have been inspired about how communities have rallied together around food during the pandemic. From posting quarantine cooking videos that celebrate our culinary heritage, to donating meals to our front-liners, and supporting farmers, small entrepreneurs and restaurants by ordering for home delivery. People have found ways to keep livelihoods and the morale of our people alive. And food has been at the center of all of this. This festival recognizes the spirit of Filipino hospitality in the way we eat,” Puyat said.
One of the key features this year is the “Kain Na!” Trading Post, the online store featuring Filipino products. The online store will go live at www.kainnastore.com for one month.
The online learning modules will offer much-needed e-commerce training for food and farm tourism stakeholders and other micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry’s CTRL+BIZ Reboot Now program with the help of enablers Google, Facebook, Zomato, Eat In, GrabFood, Gcash, Air21, and Lazada.
The Food Tourism 101 will feature Margarita Fores, JJ Yulo, Ivan Man Dy, and Michelle Cruz of Klook, who will present share-worthy food tourism experiences from food walks, market tours, foodie hotspots, and other inspiring food tourism experiences.
“Kain Na is a celebration of our heritage and culture. We are glad to share this opportunity for the past two years with the Department of Tourism, as we work together in promoting our country for both local and international tourism,” Ayala Malls president Jennylle Tupaz said.
Grab will roll out a Kain Na! tile on the homepage of the Grab app to increase the discoverability of partner merchants. To further promote the project, Guide to the Philippines [link to https://guidetothephilippines.ph/] published an extensive guide on must-try tsokolate, kape, and tsaa binges around the country.
Zomato will also highlight Kain Na! in their Collections feature. (DOT PR)
