Explore how Filipino Food Month brings together communities across the Philippines and the world through heritage, identity, and cuisine. From ancestral recipes to global kamayan feasts, discover how food tells the Filipino story.
From the bustling palengkes of Manila to cozy kitchens in Los Angeles, Dubai, and London, April has become a time to gather, to remember, and to feast. It’s Filipino Food Month—Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino—and for Filipinos everywhere, it’s not just about what’s on the plate. It’s about who we are, where we come from, and where we’re going.
Every April, the aroma of sautéed garlic and vinegar fills the air—not just in the Philippines, but across Filipino homes and restaurants worldwide. Filipino Food Month, first declared in 2018 by Presidential Proclamation No. 469, is more than a national celebration. It’s a movement that reconnects Filipinos to their roots through a language everyone speaks: food.
Jointly led by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Tourism, and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement, the month-long celebration was designed to preserve and promote the depth and diversity of Filipino culinary traditions.
But what began as a domestic cultural initiative has quickly grown into a global wave of culinary pride, embraced by the Filipino diaspora—now over 10 million strong—scattered across continents but bound together by the familiar taste of home.
Heritage on a Plate
From pancit molo in Iloilo to piaparan in Marawi, Filipino cuisine is a mosaic of histories and cultures. Spanish, Chinese, Malay, and Indigenous influences weave together in every bite. Filipino Food Month is especially intentional about honoring the lesser-known dishes and regional flavors—many of which are in danger of being forgotten.
“To cook Filipino food is to stand in the footsteps of your ancestors—with a wooden spoon in one hand and a memory in the other,” says Lila Santiago, a culinary historian based in Cebu who’s spent years reviving pre-colonial recipes.
Across the country and beyond, chefs, home cooks, and cultural advocates are bringing these recipes to life. They host cooking demos, kamayan feasts, food heritage workshops, and online recipe drops to connect generations and reawaken culinary memory.
A Global Table
Filipino Food Month resonates deeply with overseas Filipinos, many of whom use cooking as a way to stay connected to home—or introduce their heritage to others. In cities like Toronto, Tokyo, Dubai, and London, local Filipino communities organize food fairs, storytelling dinners, and virtual kamustahans built around meals.
“It’s not about perfection. It’s about presence. Filipino food brings people together even when the miles are many,” says Chef Mia Garcia, a supper club curator in London whose dinners are always sold out.
For many second- and third-generation Filipinos, April becomes a chance to reclaim identity through cuisine—bridging family history with modern expression.
One of them is Chef Leah Cohen, a Filipino-American chef and Top Chef alum known for championing Southeast Asian flavors through her restaurants and storytelling. Her approach to food is both deeply personal and culturally resonant.
“I want people to know these dishes exist—not just as comfort food, but as part of our culture’s story,” she shared in an interview with the Asian Journal.
From her take on kare-kare to her modern spins on regional staples, Cohen’s work highlights how food can bridge generations, geography, and identity.
Flavors That Unite
Filipino Food Month is more than a feast of flavors—it’s a reminder of resilience, creativity, and connection. It honors the hands that till the land, catch the fish, cook the meals, and pass down recipes without ever writing them down. It also empowers the next generation to tell their stories through food—whether in the quiet of their homes or the spotlight of global culinary stages.
“Food is how we remember,” says Alvin Cailan, a Filipino-American chef and restaurateur based in New York. “It’s how we tell the story of who we are—even when we’re far from home.”
This April, wherever you are in the world, the invitation is open: gather around the table, savor every bite, and celebrate a culture that has always known how to turn humble ingredients into something extraordinary.
Because wherever Filipinos go, their stories follow—and food tells them best.
