The 4th edition of Madrid Fusion Manila (MFM), previously set for April 2019, will no longer push through.

According to a statement from The Department of Tourism (DOT), the department will continue to focus its resources on the many pressing challenges in the industry, in particular to address the needs of sectors that require support as the tourism industry adopts a policy of Sustainable Tourism.

Given the urgency of those demands, the department is fully dedicated to optimizing its resources and allocating its budget towards programs and projects that directly impact communities, especially at the grassroots, that need government aid to be sustainable. Efforts such as the development of farm tourism will provide a dependable source of income for Filipinos in their locales but will also be vital to countryside development.

The DOT recognizes what the local food industry has contributed to promoting the country as a vibrant culture with its own unique flavor to the world. This was strengthened by events such as Madrid Fusion Manila, which not only helped in creating a discussion about Filipino cuisine abroad but also in cultivating a more robust interest in our homegrown agricultural produce within the local culinary scene.

The DOT will continue its support of Filipino gastronomy by focusing its efforts on areas that will make it truly sustainable. Its regional offices will continue to develop and improve culinary and farm tourism product offerings, while the department’s foreign offices will continue to promote the country as a premier culinary destination to the international market.