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The cliche “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is especially true in the Philippines, where food is central to gatherings and “kumain ka na ba” or “have you eaten” is a common greeting. READ:
The cliche “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is especially true in the Philippines, where food is central to gatherings and “When the pandemic struck, the simple act of breaking bread in the presence of friends and family was taken away from us.
In this B-Side episode, John Paolo C. Dalupang, a research associate at the Institute of Philippine Culture and lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, tellsMr. Dalupang, who has done research on feeding programs, public health, and disaster resilience, shares what he’s learned about what we lost when we were deprived of social gatherings and how our relationship to food has changed because of the pandemic.
“There’s this concept called conspicuous consumption wherein you buy things and you ensure that other people see you buying it,” he said.“We lost the ability to gather and share food but being resourceful, we have made adaptations,” said Mr. Dalupang, who pointed out that Zoom parties allowed us to gather virtually. “The only thing is, it’s still a different feel. A lot of people will tell you that it’s still different when you can sit with each other and actually converse.