80 percent of kiosks for food festival already taken
Eighty percent of the total kiosks intended for this week’s food festival are already taken by interested parties such as student entrepreneurs. The food festival is only one of the activities in line for the 2009 Dinagyang festival.
The early applicants for the kiosk are already given their respective areas to sell their products according to the thematic kiosk set-up. There are 520 kiosks prepared for the food festival and 80 percent are already taken, said Ely Bagtasus, chair of the kiosk committee of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI).
The thematic kiosk set-up is one of this year’s innovations formulated by the foundation in order to vary the products, food and same time encourage the participation of the different sectors particularly the different municipalities in the region.
The foundation has sought the participation not only of the Iloilo Hotels Restaurant and Resorts Association (IHRRA) but of local micro, medium enterprises and student entrepreneurs. The IHRRA initiated food festival starts on January 21-25, 2009.
The thematic kiosk set up will also give the student entrepreneurs the opportunity to demonstrate their ideas on product presentation and marketing skills. Student organizations from different universities in the city expressed their willingness to participate in the food festival.
Bagtasus said they will even launch a contest on who among the student organizations have the potentials to draw customers and make good sales during the three day food festival. They will receive cash prizes ranging from P3,000 for the 1st prize, P2,000 2nd prize and P1,000 for the 3rd prize.
In the thematic set-up, the various municipalities that will participate in the food festival will line along the area of Philippine National Bank-Valeria and Goldilocks area. They will set up a pasalubong center to showcase their products under the One Town One Product (OTOP) program, said Bagtasus.
The student entrepreneurs will occupy the Casa Plaza area. It is a non-liquor area. The committee is giving much importance on the OTOP pasalubong centers and the student entrepreneurs, said Bagtasus.
He added renters of the kiosks occupying the Yulo-Muelle Loney area which are well-lighted areas will showcase delicacies or folk flavors. This will allow the local and foreign tourists to have a taste of the best menu of the region. The presentation of folk flavors also aims too push culinary tourism as one of the attractions of the community.
And the Delgado-Valeria-Solis and Iznart areas are or regular kiosks where there are bands to offer entertainment.
The committee on kiosks also rented 50 portalets in Manila to accommodate the toilet needs of people who will flock the food festival. Portalets will be stationed in the various areas covered by the food festival, said Bagtasus.
The committee also assured the peace and order and cleanliness of the food festival areas. The occupants are prohibited from selling beers and other drinks in bottles and cut-off the pointed part of barbecue sticks. All drinks shall be placed in plastic cups, he said.
The barangays covered by the designated food festival area will help in the maintenance of cleanliness and augment in the security aspect. There would be presence of barangay tanods aside from plainclothes and uniformed police personnel.
The barangays where the kiosks are located have a share on the P1,000 kiosk rent. The payment also covers for the electricity consumed during the food festival.