MANILA, Philippines — This year’s World Street Food Congress is set to be hosted by the Philippines anew.
In a statement released on Facebook, World Street Food Congress founder KF Seetoh of Makansutra announced that the organizing body would stage the 2019 edition of the food event in October.
“The World Street Food Congress 2019 will be back in the beautiful Bonifacio Global City , BGC in October this year,” he said.
Seetoh said the WSFC’s theme this year is “Street Food Roads to Success.” He said the food event’s dialogue will be about inspirations and opportunities for talented individuals in the field.
“There are also long lists of people who have taken that route to success and have [delicious] stories to share,” he said
Seetoh thanked the Department of Tourism and Tourism Promotion Board for its support for the WSFC.
“The Philippines is a [culinary] wonder that is in the midst of erupting onto every dining table in the world. It will happen and turn it into a true culinary culture that offers jobs, entrepreneurship, tourism, lifestyle touches, trade and industry potentials,” Seetoh said.
“We thank the Dept of Tourism (DOT) and Tourism Promotion Board for their ardent belief and support on this movement and the WSFC,” he added.
The country last hosted WSFC in May 2017 in coordination with DOT and TPB headed by then resigned Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo and TPB Chief Operating Officer Cesar Montano.
The 2017 street food congress was headlined by renowned international and Filipino chefs, as well as late international food TV personality like Anthony Bourdain. Thirteen countries joined the Congress to showcase their famous street food. Philippines also hosted the WSFC 2016 edition.
In April last year, however, WSFC canceled the event citing “circumstances beyond its control” as the reason and on behalf of its event presenter, TPB.
Aside from WSFC, the DOT now under Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat announced the postponement of Madrid Fusion last year due to internal issues involving audit of the budget for the projects of the agency.