The Richness of Filipino Cuisine
DTI unveils Food Festival 2025 to celebrate Filipino culinary heritage and drive MSME digital innovation.
By Art+ Magazine Team
Photo courtesy of Department of Trade and Industry
June 3, 2025
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) officially launched Food Festival 2025—a vibrant, three-day event spotlighting the richness of Filipino cuisine and the dynamic innovation of local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Held from May 30 to June 1, 2025, at Megatrade Halls 1–3, SM Megamall, the festival featured over 250 MSME exhibitors from across the Philippines, uniting traditional flavors with modern technology and creativity.
A key highlight was the launch of the DTI Malikhaing Pinoy Website, a landmark development for the Philippine Gastronomy Creative Industry. Dubbed the “National Gateway to Filipino Creativity and Business,” the platform hosts the DTI B2B Marketplace and is designed to expand market access for Filipino MSMEs. The website features three pillars:
Connect – A registry of creatives and a directory of industry organizations
Learn – A hub for educational resources including workshops, masterclasses, and academic programs
Thrive – Access to funding opportunities from both public and private sectors to grow creative enterprises
Rooted in the Tatak Pinoy Strategy Program, the festival aims to fast-track MSME competitiveness through digital adoption and heritage-driven innovation. Attendees experienced curated exhibits, live cooking demos, and the unveiling of the Kayumanggi Philippine heritage recipe book—showcasing regional specialties from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The event also paid tribute to Iloilo City’s recent recognition as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy, celebrating its unique culinary and cultural legacy.
A dedicated digital collaboration zone brought MSMEs face-to-face with tech partners offering solutions for e-commerce, logistics, digital payments, and marketing. This initiative emphasized the importance of storytelling and product innovation rooted in Filipino heritage, empowering food entrepreneurs to scale up through digital tools.
More than just a food exhibition, DTI Food Festival 2025 was a national showcase of Filipino resilience, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit. By merging cultural identity with digital innovation, the festival aimed to position MSMEs as globally competitive players in the creative economy.
Although distinct from the National Food Fair (NFF), Food Festival 2025 shares the DTI’s overarching goal of MSME development—distinguished by its focus on immersive, tech-enabled, and creatively driven gastronomy.
Exhibitors hailed from various regions, including the National Capital Region, Western Visayas (with strong representation from Iloilo City), Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON—highlighting the festival’s broad and inclusive national reach.
Stay connected and get exciting previews through DTI-BMDPO’s official channels:
Facebook: @BDTP
X: @DTI_BMDPO
Instagram: @dti.bmdpo
YouTube: @dti_bmdpo
TikTok: @dti.bmdpo
