House OKs bill declaring Pampanga as PH’s culinary capital

THE “BIRINGHE” (Kapampangan version of paella), cooked for two hours by local chefs and students in an 11-foot diameter “paellera,” is a symbol of Pampanga’s culinary tradition showcased during the Big Bite! The Northern Food Festival.

MANILA, Philippines — Pampanga is on the verge of being formally recognized as the country’s culinary hub as a bill seeking such designation has been approved by the House of Representatives on the third and final reading.

During Tuesday’s session, House Bill (HB) No. 10634, or a proposal to declare Pampanga as the “Culinary Capital of the Philippines,” was approved with 201 lawmakers voting in the affirmative, none in the negative, and with zero abstentions.

The bill was filed by Kapampangan lawmakers, primarily former President and now Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Pampanga 4th District Rep Anna York Bondoc, and Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo Lazatin II.

If signed into law, the Department of Tourism is mandated to feature the province as the country’s culinary capital.

“The Province of Pampanga is hereby declared the ‘Culinary Capital of the Philippines’ in recognition of its contribution to the dynamic and rich culinary history of the country,” the bill read.

“The Department of Tourism shall feature and promote the Province of Pampanga as the ‘Culinary Capital of the Philippines’ in all its regional and national promotion programs,” it added.

Arroyo and the other lawmakers initially filed HB No. 10014 last March 2024 to seek recognition for the province’s “formidable culinary history” and for being a foodie tourist destination.

READ: House bill pushes Pampanga as ‘PH Culinary Capital’ 

“In Pampanga, talent in cooking and love for food permeate[s] not just restaurants but every corner of every home. Every family member is both an iron chef with an entire household to please and a food critic with strong opinions on everything other family members cook,” the lawmakers said in the bill’s explanatory note.

Aside from the recognition, the bill’s authors believe that this declaration would “also provide livelihood to many Kapampangans.” With reports from Ysabel Escalona, INQUIRER.net trainee