Culinary Terroir: Developing Tourism and Culinary Industries of the City of Kidapawan (A Concept Art)

Torch Ginger Flowers, locally known as “Tovokay”, are used for dishes in Southeast Asia. (Photo from gardeningknowhow.com)

Kidapawan, which comes from “Tida” and “Pawan,” boasts a history with “Highland Springs.” Water is abundant in the city that you can drink directly from the tap water system, which is something uncommon to other cities. Aside from the water, Kidapawan also has untapped potential in another related industry – Culinary.

The city is not only the seat of commerce in the Province of Cotabato. It has untapped resources, especially that it rests at the foot of Mount Apo. The soil resource in the city is volcanic in nature, which means that it can cater to many food crops.

Inspired by the “Filipino Culinary Renaissance” dubbed by the famed Margarita Forés, it’s time for Kidapawan to jump aboard. There are certain spices and food resources that Kidapawan must learn to develop, so that it can further its strong comparative advantage.

Koringag (Mindanao Cinnamon) – Mindanao Cinnamon is an heirloom spice that was known during the Spanish era. It is very much comparable to the Ceylon Cinnamon.

Lahadda (Scallions) – A local scallion known to the Obo Monuvu.

Tohiya (Lemon Basil) – A local spice also known to locals as “Sangig,” which is perfect for chicken dishes.

Tovokay (Torch Ginger Flowers) – An aromatic garnish that can be paired with smoked beef or seafood.

Aside from food, Kidapawan is home to a plethora of soft products. It has a long history of culture and arts, which still needs to be recorded. The increasing foot traffic for tourism in the city also increases the demand for food. Thus, it’s best to co-develop both industries.

Bakyas: Ceramic Tiles Industry Roadmap for the Municipality of President Roxas

A clay sample from Barangay Lomonay in President Roxas.

North Cotabato is endowed with non-metallic products like limestone, sand and gravel, soil, and white clay. The demand for these products is rising along with the rising projects in the construction industry. Particularly, the areas of Banisilan, President Roxas, M’lang, Makilala, and Magpet are home to a raw material that needs to be developed – White Clay.

White clay, or locally associated with the term “Bakyas,” is the raw material in the production of various ceramic products. The Department of Trade and Industry has a general roadmap that supports the production of local ceramic tiles. To wit, “The Philippine ceramic tile industry envisions itself to have efficient, competitive and environment-friendly manufacturers with sustainable and profitable operations, contributing to society and to the country’s growth.”

The tiles production would be a great opportunity to delve into, since the raw material is readily available in the area.

(ongoing research)

Bamboo: A thriving paper and arts industry in the Municipality of M’lang (A Concept Art)

M’lang, which comes from the Maguindanaoan word “Tamlang,” holds an area that has an abundant source of a domestic crop – Bamboo.

The production of paper in the area would benefit not only its domestic workforce, but also the paper demand in the country. Bamboo is a more sustainable source of pulp, although its efficacy as a source needs to be studied further. It’s interesting that we had a project back in Ateneo de Davao – IE, which led us to study Corrugated Fiberboard Production somewhere in Davao del Norte. M’lang can definitely lead the way for North Cotabato. Bamboo is a high-density crop, which means that it can cover a small amount of area and yet can produce an equitable amount of raw material. The soon-to-open Central Mindanao Airport is located in M’lang, thus a strong paper industry could be one of the best domestic products it can inject into the local market.

There are already local projects that are directing towards such a goal. The narrative of the municipality is an interesting one. I can’t wait to see the fruition of such an industry; especially that it is aligned with the narrative of the early locals in the area.

A toponym’s “settler identity” in the Mindanaoan narrative

It has always fascinated me that my hometown, President Roxas, has an outlier toponym compared to its neighboring towns in the Old Kidapawan area. This has been discussed in my previous post. Personally, I would have wanted my hometown to bear a toponym that is congruent with its neighboring towns, which have connotative “Mindanaoan” meanings attributed to them.

Years later, I realized that the current toponym of our hometown may well be an identity in itself. It might have been an organic reflection of its people’s past and future. A writer friend oftentimes reminds me to a certain identity in the greater Mindanaoan narrative. Such identity, although not so encompassing for our town’s toponym, tells a narrative of hope, progress, and development.

Apparently, that narrative is highly congruent to our hometown’s contemporary identity – Settler Identity.

As of 2021, the initial toponym iteration, with future affirmation, is “Nueva Karaya.” Nueva, which means “new” is Español, is connotative of the place’s association with time and historicity. On the other hand, “Karaya” is a semantic evolution of the term “Karay-a,” who are one of the peoples who preserved ancient Filipino customs in the hinterlands of Panay Island.

(ongoing research)

Coffee Industry Roadmap for the Municipality of President Roxas

The Philippines aims to become a leader in Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) Industry in the ASEAN Region. In an economic point of view, this means that there will be increased foot traffic during night time in the areas where these industries thrive. This gives rise to demands not just in the informal economy, but also an increased domestic demand for a staple beverage – coffee.

It is an opportunity that can’t be missed by our own region, which currently leads in the production of the priced coffee beans in the country. The demand for coffee continues to rise every year, thus the supply must be able to productively meet it.

Thematic Mapping and Onboarding Sessions

Thematic Mapping is highly needed in order to agglomerate the support for the project. The best way to do this is to capitalize on political leverage.

Additionally, Senator Miguel Zubiri has sponsored a bill mandating the establishment of cooperatives in municipalities/cities. This has passed second reading already. The coffee industry can definitely patch this mandate.

It was interesting to note that the Ateneo de Davao University – School of Engineering and Architecture had recently conducted a Coordination Meeting with the Department of Interior and Local Goverment (DILG). The said meeting aims to provide technical assistance to LGUs in the Philippines. A thematic map would certainly be of great help for the municipality from the technical experts.

Supply Chain and External Partnerships

If pursued, the coffee industry in President Roxas would be able to enter and contribute to the Coffee Supply Chain in the Philippines and hopefully in the ASEAN Region. The increased productivity of the farms must be a priority, such that it can pave the way for the utilization of idle human capital and maximization of natural resources.

External Partnerships will secure the longevity of the project. This can be done by doing agreements with sister municipalities and cities with overlapping interests. It is fitting to note that South Cotabato already champions the production of coffee beans, thus benchmarking of best practices is just a few hours away.

Hopefully, coffee blooms in President Roxas in the future.