Sagada invites visitors to learn, forage, cook, and connect with the land

The upcoming Gulay Pa More Sagada gathering brings together farmers, food advocates, and travelers to practice sustainable living, learn from indigenous land stewards, and engage in collective plant-based cooking in the Mountain Province.

A grassroots gathering in the mountains of Sagada is once again inviting people to reconnect with food, land, and community this coming Araw ng Kalayaan.

“Entaku Id Sagada! Maki-KKK sa Araw ng Kalayaan (Kabute, Kape, Kagulayan)” will take place from June 12 to 14 at Kumbasa Noodle House in Kiltepan, Sagada, Mountain Province.

Organized by Gulay Pa More Sagada, the event combines camping, cultural exchange, agroecology discussions, community cooking, coffee trail hikes, farm immersions, and guided foraging activities centered on sustainable living and indigenous practices.

According to the organizers, the first run of Gulay Pa More Sagada last year gathered more than a hundred participants from Mountain Province, Metro Manila, and other areas, including farmers, indigenous women, food advocates, artists, health practitioners, travelers, and community workers.

The group described the gathering as more than just a food festival.

“A renowned chef described it as more than a food festival. That it was ‘a return, a remembering, a call to live — and eat — differently,’” the organizers shared in their post.

The organizers also emphasized that the event aims to deepen people’s understanding of food systems and local communities.

“The event reminded the participants that ‘food is not just about flavor. It’s about freedom. It’s about farmers who are not faceless suppliers, but scholars and sages of the land,’” the post read.

Activities lined up for the three-day gathering include organic farming and biodiversity learning sessions, collective plant-based cooking, local market tours, coffee roasting experiences, nature-art workshops, and forest foraging for edible plants and mushrooms.

This year’s edition coincides with the celebration of Independence Day and seeks to build on the partnerships and lessons formed during the inaugural gathering.

“We are coming together again in Sagada not just to learn and get inspired, but to give life to what the mountains and their stewards taught us,” the organizers said.

Interested participants may register through Gulay Pa More Sagada’s official social media pages, including their Instagram account @gulaypamore. Organizers said registration closes on June 3.

Those unable to attend may also sponsor volunteers or donate to support community participants and keep the event running through solidarity efforts. For inquiries and registration details, interested participants may contact the organizers through their social media pages or visit Kumbasa Noodle House for updates about the event.

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