Coffee, Hilot And Postcards: A Taste Of The Philippines Between ASEAN 2026 Deadlines

From Nabilah Saleh

MANILA, Nov 14 (NNN) -- Between diplomatic briefings and filing deadlines, journalists covering the ASEAN Summit in Manila can take a break over locally grown coffee or a traditional Filipino massage.

They can also send a postcard home, a souvenir from an assignment otherwise likely to be remembered through stories, photographs and hours spent at a computer.

At the International Media Centre (IMC) at the World Trade Centre in Pasay City, the Philippines is giving visiting journalists a chance to experience its food, agricultural produce and traditions alongside the facilities provided for their work.

Among the offerings is hilot, a traditional Filipino massage available at a health and wellness station run in partnership with the Philippine Wellness Association.

“Our intent is for them to experience health and wellness the Filipino way,” Tourism Assistant Secretary Ina Zara-Loyola told GMA News.

For those who prefer a drink during their break, the Philippine Beverage Station serves coffee sourced from Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, Sagada in Mountain Province, Tanay in Rizal, Bukidnon and Batangas.

Cocoa from Davao and fresh coconut water round out the selection, introducing visitors a taste of agricultural produce from different parts of the country.

The Presidential Communications Office said the complimentary refreshments also provide Filipino farmers, cooperatives, coffee growers and chocolate producers an opportunity to showcase their products to an international audience.

Elsewhere, a street setting inspired by Manila’s historic Intramuros district connects the main halls to an exhibition area. Visitors can stop at a sari-sari store, the small neighbourhood shop familiar across the Philippines, and sample taho, a sweet silken tofu dessert, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported. 

The Regional Gastronomy Hub brings together dishes from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, with selections curated by Michelin-recognised chefs Francis Lacson and Miguel Cabel Moreno.

Lacson told PNA that the offerings were intended to introduce visitors to regional dishes beyond the Filipino staples they might already know, including lumpia, kare-kare and adobo. 

The One Town, One Product exhibition showcases locally made goods from across the archipelago, while a Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) booth lets visitors buy collectible stamps and send postcards to their home countries.

Stamp selections include issues marking the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship in 2026 and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia’s 50th anniversary, alongside the ASEAN Fruits series.

For journalists with time between reporting schedules, the Department of Tourism is also offering tours to Museo del Galeon, Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral and Centro de Turismo Intramuros.

The IMC formally opened on Nov 13 providing workspaces, briefing rooms and broadcasting facilities for summit coverage. Alongside the news sent out from Manila, the postcards offer something visitors can address, stamp and send home themselves.

--NNN