Cordillera Region’s Cultural Wonders Impress Foreign Diplomats In Philippine Tourism Experience, Here’s All You Need To Know

Published on October 29, 2025

Foreign diplomats precocious visited nan picturesque Cordillera Region of nan Philippines from October 23 to 25, wherever they engaged pinch nan area’s culture, noting nan fascinating parallels to their ain traditions. For these ambassadors and representatives of various countries, taste immersion successful nan Philippines besides formed a portion of nan Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Philippine Experience Program (PEP) initiated to showcase nan country’s rich | practice and beforehand world relationships.

A Glimpse into Cordillera’s Natural and Cultural Beauty

The PEP Cordillera circuit took nan overseas delegates connected a captivating travel done nan mist-covered farms and rolling mountains of Buguias successful Benguet, and nan renowned crockery farms successful Bauko, Mountain Province. The region’s stunning earthy beauty, mixed pinch its rich | indigenous culture, offered a memorable acquisition for nan overseas visitors, galore of whom were experiencing nan agrarian landscapes and traditions of nan Philippines for nan first time.

One of nan highlights of nan travel was nan opportunity to observe nan indigenous peoples of nan Cordillera region, their accepted dances, and nan euphony that defines their culture. These experiences not only deepened nan diplomats’ knowing of nan area but besides created a consciousness of shared identity, arsenic galore recovered parallels betwixt Cordillera’s indigenous practices and those of their ain countries.

Diplomats Relate Cordillera’s Traditions to Their Own Cultures

Thailand’s Ambassador to nan Philippines, Makawadee Sumitmor, was speedy to announcement nan taste similarities betwixt nan indigenous peoples of nan Cordillera region and those of her location country. “The indigenous peoples, nan dance, nan measurement they dress is nan same. You person nan gong, nan philharmonic instrument. It makes maine consciousness that we are not only friends but adjacent relatives,” she remarked during nan trip. Ambassador Sumitmor, who has been successful nan Philippines for conscionable six months, has traveled extensively passim nan country, emphasizing nan value of taste speech successful her negotiated work. She expressed that this sojourn was not conscionable an acquisition experience, but 1 that fostered a deeper knowing and appreciation of Filipino culture.

Similarly, Vietnamese Ambassador Lai Thai Binh, accompanied by his woman and staff, expressed his admiration for nan Cordillera region’s landscapes and its taste similarities to Vietnam. “I told my woman that location are truthful galore similarities betwixt nan Cordillera and Vietnam. You will spot akin scenes, houses, people,” Ambassador Binh noted. He besides mentioned his hopes of promoting nan Philippines arsenic a destination for Vietnamese tourists, particularly pinch nan upcoming ASEAN Summit successful 2026, which will beryllium hosted by nan Philippines. He plans to bring Vietnamese business owners, artists, dancers, and visitors to acquisition nan agrarian beauty of nan Philippines, further solidifying nan relationship betwixt nan 2 nations.

The Cordillera Region’s Unique Culinary Delights

The taste acquisition extended beyond euphony and dance. During nan visit, Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo’s wife, Akiko Endo, made an absorbing study regarding nan Cordillera region’s accepted atom wine, tapuey. She noted its striking resemblance to Japanese sake, an study that resonated pinch galore guests from Japan. “I will decidedly show my Japanese friends to travel complete here,” she said, emphasizing her desire to present others to nan chopped flavors of Cordillera’s accepted beverages.

Tapuey, on pinch different section delicacies, offered nan delegates a deeper knowing of nan region’s cultivation traditions and really nan locals incorporated nan onshore into their regular lives. The culinary facet of nan circuit underscored nan value of section ingredients and location flavors successful shaping nan Filipino identity.

Promoting Filipino Culture and Strengthening International Relations

Department of Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia Frasco, who led nan delegation, highlighted that nan PEP is not conscionable astir showcasing nan country’s earthy beauty but besides promoting its vibrant culture, chopped heritage, and divers creator assets. “The Philippine Experience Program reinforces Filipino identity, pride, and emotion of country,” Secretary Frasco said. This inaugural aligns pinch nan Philippine Tourism Development Plan 2023 to 2028, which focuses connected boosting tourism and strengthening nan country’s world floor plan arsenic a premier recreation destination.

The programme serves arsenic a level for introducing world visitors to nan taste wealthiness of nan Philippines while besides promoting nan country’s tourism potential. By showcasing nan unsocial experiences of Cordillera, nan PEP allows overseas delegates to enactment arsenic ambassadors for Philippine tourism upon returning to their respective countries.

The Impact connected Tourism and Local Communities

As world diplomats acquisition nan Philippines’ taste offerings firsthand, nan benefits of specified exchanges widen to nan country’s tourism manufacture and section communities. The sojourn not only highlighted nan value of taste preservation but besides demonstrated really tourism tin beryllium a catalyst for economical growth. Local stakeholders successful nan Cordillera region gained invaluable vulnerability done nan information of nationalist circuit operators and an world assemblage that included ambassadors and consular officials.

The PEP programme besides reinforces nan value of sustainable tourism practices. As much world visitors go alert of nan beauty and taste value of regions for illustration Cordillera, nan Philippines stands to use from accrued tourer inflows. This creates opportunities for section businesses, enhances occupation creation successful hospitality and tourism services, and fosters organization improvement done nan responsible guidance of earthy and taste resources.

Connecting Filipinos to Their Heritage

In summation to its attraction connected world diplomacy, nan PEP programme intends to reconnect Filipinos pinch their practice and guarantee that nary Filipino is near down successful nan nation’s tourism development. DOT Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso emphasized nan program’s domiciled arsenic an equalizer, stating that it expands tourism opportunities crossed various islands and ensures multi-dimensional experiences for some locals and tourists. By involving section communities successful nan tourism improvement process, nan PEP besides serves to foster a deeper consciousness of pridefulness and ownership among Filipinos regarding their taste and earthy assets.

Building Bridges Through Culture and Tourism

The PEP Cordillera inaugural demonstrates nan value of utilizing taste diplomacy to facilitate knowing and build relationships. For overseas diplomats, nan Cordillera Region acquisition was much than conscionable a sightseeing trip; it was an opportunity to found deeper ties and a meaningful appreciation of nan warmth and civilization of nan Filipino people. As nan region’s tourism imaginable continues to develop, these initiatives will beryllium important successful promoting nan rich | taste history of nan Philippines to imaginable tourism markets while establishing economical opportunities for nan region’s people. With accrued tourism and nan improvement of taste initiatives, nan Philippines will go an moreover much charismatic tourism destination.