20/08/2026
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐
The Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 2 continues to expand Isabelaโs tourism offerings through the development of the โMajestic Isabela: A Culinary Crawl Experience Circuit,โ a tourism product that brings together the provinceโs farms, local food, heritage dishes, food producers, and community traditions.
Aligned with the โDiscover More to Loveโ domestic campaign, the circuit aims to develop a year-round tourism experience that can provide visitors with more reasons to explore Isabela while creating additional livelihood opportunities for farmers, food entrepreneurs, tourism establishments, and local communities.
To assess the circuitโs readiness for the market, DOT Region 2, in partnership with the DOT Central Office, Provincial Government of Isabela, participating local government units, and tourism stakeholders, conducted a three-day dry run from August 17 to 19, 2026.
The activity brought together evaluators from the DOT Central Officeโs Offices of Market Development and Product Development, DOT Region 2, the Isabela Provincial Tourism Office, academe, tour operators, food and travel content creators, and local media. Their varied perspectives provided valuable insights into the circuitโs visitor experience, service delivery, marketability, storytelling, and overall readiness.
The dry run began with a Heritage and Farm-to-Table Culinary Experience at Hacienda de San Luis, where participants were welcomed with a Filipino Barrio Fiesta lunch and cultural presentation, followed by a cassava roll-making activity. The group then proceeded to Valdez Integrated Farm for a farm tour, coffee and cacao tasting, and a Dendelot preparation activity.
Day 2 featured a series of food and farm experiences across participating communities. These included noodle and egg pie making at Beruโs/Sy Bread House; a pansi cooking demonstration at Mariloiโs Restaurant; a farm visit and corn-based lunch at Mangi Food House; an inatata preparation demonstration at the Yadao Residence in Barangay Osmeรฑa; farm and milk-processing experiences at Jeox Breeding Farm and Mr. Mooโs; and a moriecos-making demonstration at the Cabatuan Municipal Training Center. The day concluded with dinner at Bonsai Na Sato Restaurant.
On Day 3, participants explored more of Isabelaโs local food traditions and products, beginning with breakfast and a serkele cooking showcase at Aling Luringโs Gotohan and concluding with a visit to Big Brotherโs Cornick Factory.
Beyond experiencing the food, the participants evaluated each stop based on the quality and authenticity of the activities, interpretation and storytelling, service delivery, facilities, visitor handling, pricing and inclusions, marketability, and the overall flow of the itinerary.
The dry run concluded with an Exit Conference, where participants shared their initial observations and recommendations.
The discussion highlighted the strengths of the participating destinations while identifying areas that can still be improved, particularly in itinerary flow, experience delivery, interpretation, facilities, services, and tourism readiness.
The observations and recommendations from the activity will be consolidated into the Dry Run Terminal Report, which will guide the further refinement of the itinerary, operational procedures, visitor experience, and service standards of the circuit.
Through the โMajestic Isabela: A Culinary Crawl Experience Circuit,โ DOT Region 2 seeks to position food and culinary traditions as an integral part of Isabelaโs tourism experience while creating opportunities for local communities to benefit from tourism throughout the year.
