Marcos vetoes bill declaring Pampanga culinary capital

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has vetoed a proposal declaring Pampanga as the country’s culinary capital, saying it may cause discrimination, loss of diversity and regional bias.

In a letter to leaders of Congress dated March 12, Marcos said that while Pampanga is celebrated for its diverse and flavorful dishes, traditional cooking methods and a strong culture of food innovation, he could not ignore concerns over the lack of historical basis for the proposal and absence of a thorough study showing performance indicators for such a designation.

Marcos said the measure may offend the sensibilities of other provinces that are also proud of their culinary heritage.

“In consideration of the possibility that the enrolled bill may cause negative cultural implications, discrimination, regional bias and loss of diversity, I am constrained to veto the abovementioned enrolled bill,” he said.

Marcos said Philippine culinary tradition is drawn from various cultures, but displays regional characteristics.

He said regions contribute indigenous dishes with certain recipes that are best done in areas of origin of their ingredients.

“Comparable to literature, visual arts, dance or music, our culinary arts thrive in its diversity. The richness in terms of regional differences is the strength of our Filipino culture,” Marcos said.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the bill was vetoed to recognize the strength of all regions.

“If only one region is chosen and if it appears that it offers the best (dishes), other people, especially foreigners who want to go to the Philippines, might think they can only visit one region because it offers the most palatable local food,” Castro explained in a press briefing yesterday.