Iloilo City, NCCA celebrate National Heritage Month with Gastronomy Book Launch

As part of its enduring commitment to preserve and promote culinary heritage, Iloilo City, through the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), is set to unveil a landmark publication celebrating Ilonggo gastronomy.

The 244-page book, Gastronomic Expressions of Our City, Iloilo: Nature, Culture, and Geography, will be officially launched today at Manila House in Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila, in celebration of National Heritage Month (NHM).

Commemorated every month of May under Presidential Proclamation No. 439, NHM seeks to promote awareness, respect, and appreciation for the diverse cultural legacies of the Filipino people. This year’s theme, “Preserving Legacies, Building Futures: Empowering Communities through Heritage,” reflects the national effort to engage communities in heritage conservation.

“This is our way of immortalizing the legacy of Ilonggo cuisine—that it will endure because more people will know about it,” said Maria Lea Victoria Lara, Director of the Iloilo City Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Center.

Originally launched in Iloilo City to mark the second anniversary of its UNESCO Creative City designation, the book will soon be available in bookstores nationwide through Vibal Group, Inc., in collaboration with the Ugnayan Center for Filipino Gastronomy and the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc.

Described by Lara as a “nostalgic piece of home,” the book seeks to inspire other communities beyond Iloilo to promote gastronomic tourism and take part in cultural conservation—even in small but meaningful ways.

“For those who have left Iloilo and now live elsewhere, we hope this book will spark a sense of connection to their roots, encouraging them to visit or even rediscover Ilonggo cuisine through cooking,” she said.

The launch program will feature a short talk about the book, an open forum, and a book signing. Members of the media, national officials, and heritage enthusiasts are expected to attend the event.

The book project is a brainchild of Iloilo City First Lady Rosalie Sarabia Treñas, who also serves as the executive director. It offers profound insights into the influences that have shaped Iloilo’s gastronomic evolution and development—spanning geography, ethnicity, endemic ingredients, and technology.

Renowned cultural advocate PJ Arañador serves as cultural consultant, while Guillermo “Ige” Ramos of the Ugnayan Center for Filipino Gastronomy conceptualized the framework and led the creative direction. Esteemed food writer Michaela Fenix served as the editor.

The six major chapters of the book is a collective output of Ilonggo professionals and writers: “Geography” by Vicente Segovia Salas; “Ethnicity” by Hazel Palmares Villa; “Ingredients” by Glenda S. Tayona and Pearl Rylene Mae S. Socias, with watercolor illustrations by Ilonggo artists Vic Nabor and Kevin Fernandez; “Technology” by Ted Aldwin Ong; and “Recipes” curated by Mrs. Treñas and her team.

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas himself wrote the book’s introduction by sharing his childhood food memories while NCCA Executive Director, Dr. Eric Babar Zerrudo, wrote the preface with a title “Comfort and Meaning in a Bowl of Batchoy.” The foreword is by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco; the afterword by Dr. Laya Boquerin Gonzales, an assistant professor and chair of the Department of Arts, University of Asia and the Pacific, and a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites Philippines and of the International Council of Museums. The back cover blurb is contributed by Dr. Clement C. Camposano, Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Visayas.

“This book instills a profound sense of pride among Ilonggos,” said Mayor Treñas. “It’s more than just a compilation of recipes and culinary stories—it’s a heartfelt endeavor created for every Ilonggo. We aim to celebrate and preserve our rich gastronomic heritage, ensuring that each dish, each story, and each memory is shared with the world.”

Gastronomic Expressions of Our City, Iloilo: Nature, Culture, and Geography is under the Gastronomia Filipina imprint of Vibal, with Ige Ramos as editor-at-large. The imprint showcases established and emerging voices in Philippine food writing, while reflecting the evolving narrative of Filipino food.

Vibal’s books are available on Shopee, Lazada, Vibal’s online shopping portal; at partner bookstores: Fully Booked, Mt. Cloud Bookshop, Ayala Museum, Firma, Tesoros, Yuchengco Museum, Mara’s Art Salon, San Agustin Museum, Solidaridad Bookshop, The Manila Collectibles Inc., Tradewinds Bookshop, Ortigas Foundation, Ateneo Art Gallery, Popular Book Store, Powerbooks TriNoMa, Vargas Museum, Art Bar Serendra, and Limketkai Center; and at Fine Philippine Books branches located at Lucky Chinatown Mall, Ramada by Wyndham Hotel in Binondo, and Casa Vallejo Baguio, with more stores set to open in the coming months.