By Mariela Angella Oladive
The Iloilo City government and the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) have partnered to preserve and enhance the rich heritage of Ilonggo’s iconic dish, batchoy.
Dubbed “Project 2: Namit Gid!: A Multi-Stakeholders’ Collaboration for Ilonggo’s Batchoy,” the initiative was formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on Tuesday, September 3, at the City Mayor’s Office.
The project, part of the Panay Weaving and Culinary Heritage Program, is led by UPV’s Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS) and funded by the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS).
It aims to explore the history, cultural significance, and evolution of batchoy—a hearty noodle soup known for its rich beef stock, crushed pork cracklings, and a mix of innards.
As Iloilo City holds the designation of a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative City of Gastronomy, the research will also reinforce the city’s culinary identity and ensure the vitality of its batchoy industry.
Lea Victoria Lara, Director of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibits (MICE), highlighted that the project seeks to examine the batchoy industry’s value chain and history.
“The study aims to identify any challenges the industry faces, such as the risk of losing authenticity or the availability of ingredients. UP is also involved in food technology, so they may explore innovations in packaging while preserving the traditional recipe,” Lara said in an interview.
She added that the project will provide insights into the different recipes and variations that have emerged since batchoy originated as a family business.
The MOA signing was attended by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, UPV Chancellor Dr. Clement Camposano, UP CIDS Executive Director Dr. Rosalie Alcala-Hall, CWVS Director Frances Anthea Redison, and Executive Assistant for Special Projects Leny Ledesma.
Lara, along with Atty. Reinhart Pahila from the Mayor’s Office, facilitated the ceremony.
Also present were UPV representatives, including Dr. Mary Rose Rebueno, Batchoy Project Leader, Senior Office Assistant Febrey Esclares, and Junior Admin Aprille Danilly Guintibano.
The first stakeholder meeting is set for later this month to conduct a needs assessment and foster industry standards among batchoy vendors.
Lara expressed optimism that the gathering would help establish standards, while still allowing recipes to remain unique to individual establishments.
