Miguel Cabel Moreno (right) accepts a ceremonial knife from Manila Marriott culinary director and executive chef Meik BrammerFilipino Michelin Bib Gourmand chef Miguel Cabel Moreno’s mission to promote a different side of Philippine gastronomy recently took on a new form with his recent collaboration with Manila Marriott Hotel at Newport World Resorts.
The Tausug chef is now part of the hotel’s Marriott International Sinagtala Philippine Culinary Arts Programme (Sinagtala) through a recent kitchen takeover which will take centre stage at the Marriott Cafe throughout April 2026, coinciding with Filipino Food Month.
For Cabel Moreno, it is tangible proof that his efforts to promote a cuisine which has mainly flown under the radar of global tourists are now bearing fruit and the world is finally taking notice.
As he declared during the launch of the Sinagtala Famsgiving offering at Marriott Manila on Thursday, 19th March: “Our biggest struggle for the better part of eight years was about being heard and being discovered by fellow Filipinos in search of new flavours to try. While Michelin gave us the validation that we've always been gunning for, it wasn't easy; it was hard work, it was clear love and passion. My goal from the get-go was to introduce the best of Southern Mindanao and to tell the rest of the Philippines and the world that we are very proud of our original endemic cuisine.”
These sentiments echo Cabel Moreno’s previous interview with Travel Daily Media wherein he expressed gratitude for another opportunity in which to share the rich gastronomic heritage of the southern provinces of Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (ZamBaSulTa), a region often overlooked by gastronomes in favour of the often Spanish- or Chinese-derived cuisines of the northern and central Philippines.
At the time, he said: “I hope that, when diners step out, they will have a more positive and better view of Mindanao as a whole. Hopefully, they’ll want to try and visit Mindanao themselves.”
Shifting perceptions in Philippine gastronomy
For Sharlene Zabala-Batin, assistant secretary for tourism digitalisation and resource generation at the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), collaborations between chefs and gastronomic heritage advocates like Cabel Moreno and major hotels reflects just how strongly gastronomic tourism supports the overall tourist experience in the country.
Speaking at the Sinagtala event, Zabala-Batin declared: “We want to highlight how food serves as a gateway to understanding our own culture and history, as well as our Asian identity. We want to connect people through food, history, tradition, and communities. By featuring the distinctive flavors of ZamBaSulTa, we honour the cultural heritage of Filipino Muslim communities as each dish carries with it a story: a story of place, a story of people, and a story of tradition.”
This mindset is a powerful backlash, so to speak, against the most common perceptions regarding Filipino cuisine, especially overseas as the current vogue for Filipino dishes is on the rise.
It does not bode well for Philippine gastronomy if all people know about it are the usual menus revolving around sinigang, adobo, lumpia, and halo-halo, or if the focus keeps centring on Kapampangan (northern) and Cebuano / Ilonggo (central) cuisine.
As Cabel Moreno put it in March of last year: “Food tells a story; but, for too long, Mindanao’s story has been overlooked or, worse, misrepresented. As a chef, I’m pushing to change that by putting Tausug cuisine in the spotlight. Dishes like tiyula itum and piyanggang manok aren’t just food; they’re history, identity, and proof of Mindanao’s rich heritage.”
Zabala-Batin likewise added: “For us [at the DOT], gastronomic tourism also plays a major role in supporting the national economy. It provides opportunities for our local producers, strengthens the regional value chain, and creates meaningful livelihoods. It also affirms the importance of preserving and celebrating our diverse cultural heritage.”
Safeguarding traditions and sharing them with the world
Programmes like Marriott’s Sinagtala were created to showcase the culinary traditions and innovations native to specific locations, sharing them with their global network, thus fostering a greater understanding of other nations and driving tourism.
At the same time, these programmes also serve to train a new generation of culinary professionals who will, in their turn, be the guardians of culinary heritage.
In which case, it helps to start them young, offering active exposure to the whole gamut of dishes, preparation techniques, and even serving etiquette endemic to a specific region.
Meanwhile, initiatives like the annual Filipino Food Month which runs for the entirety of April give hotels and restaurants the opportunity to showcase local specialities, enabling them to both educate guests’ palates and satisfy their cravings.
But, again, this is but the tip of the iceberg: for Cabel Moreno and his fellow gastronomic heritage advocates, this is just another step towards showing the world that there is more to Philippine cuisine than the dishes shown on influencers’ socials, and that intrepid travellers need to come over and sample it for themselves.
Photos and reportage: Marga Manlapig
