UPV researcher explores Iloilo batchoy’s heritage and future

ILOILO CITY — Darlene Joy D. Calsado, a university research associate at the University of the Philippines Visayas Center for West Visayan Studies (UPV CWVS), served as a resource speaker for “Beyond the Bowl,” a special lecture on batchoy, Iloilo’s popular and iconic dish, on Aug. 19, 2026, at SM City Iloilo.

Calsado, a research fellow for “Namit Gid!: A Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Ilonggo’s Batchoy,” shared insights on batchoy as a significant part of Iloilo’s culinary heritage, history, and identity.

The project, an initiative of the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) and UPV CWVS, brings together the Iloilo City government, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, the Department of Trade and Industry, batchoy entrepreneurs, food heritage advocates, academics, and other stakeholders to enrich discussions and explore ways to preserve and promote the dish.

UP Visayas and the Iloilo City government formalized their collaboration on the batchoy project in September 2024, with the initiative focusing on the dish’s history and cultural significance, as well as the needs of batchoy businesses and the development of value-chain practices.

The project has also explored the potential geographical indication registration of La Paz batchoy as part of broader efforts to protect and strengthen the dish’s cultural and economic value.

The lecture was part of a two-day celebration held Aug. 19–20, 2026, organized by the UPV College of Management Student Council in partnership with SM City Iloilo in line with Iloilo City’s Charter Day celebration.

Iloilo City was formally inaugurated on Aug. 25, 1937, a date commemorated through its annual Charter Day celebration.

Student councils and students from various universities and colleges across Iloilo City participated in the activities. (S.B. Dioso)