Philippine Harvest At Central Square Promotes Sustainable Farm and Responsible Tourism

Dubbed Philippine Harvest: Sustainable Living, Food, and Travel, the recent Philippine Harvest at Central Square celebrated the richness of Philippine agriculture.

With its second edition under the helm of the Department of Tourism, highlights from the three-day food and travel fair included farm tourism, local food, and tourist destinations around the country.

“At the core of our programs and projects in the Department is our sustainable and responsible tourism advocacy which we aim to promote with this edition of Philippine Harvest,” shared DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

In addition to showcasing organic, artisanal, natural, and indigenous products—dried seafood, coffee, heirloom rice, chocolate, craft beers, fruit wines, fresh fruits, and local sausages, among others—the SSI Group and Central Square, in partnership with the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board, DOT-accredited farm sites across the different regions were brought together, alongside selected travel agencies and local food exhibitors. There were mini-lectures on sustainable tourism and dining as well, which was organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.

“We hope to develop sustainable farm tourism as a dependable source of income for Filipinos in line with implementation of the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016, which serves as one of our strategies for countryside development,” added Secretary Romulo-Puyat.

SSI Group President Anton Huang said, “As we continue to provide lifestyle offerings to our consumers, we at SSI are proud to, once again, showcase the best of what the Philippines has to offer—not only for our guests to appreciate the Philippines’ finest flavors, but also to create more awareness when it comes to how our travels impact our planet. Travel has become a big part of all of our lives and this is our way of practicing this advocacy here in our own backyard, and presenting Filipino travelers with options and ideas.”