Food: Highland Staples in the Philippines

 (Staples in Montaniosa/Igorotlandia/Cordillera)

Sweet potato is the main staple of the Igorots in the ancient Philippine Cordillera. In the absence or presence of rice in the granaries, the sweet potato remained abundant in every household as it was perennially cultivated on different kinds of land forms, unlike the rice which can only be planted and grow viably on flat or semi-flat surface with enough water supply.

The cassava also has its own place in the Cordillera highland Igorot farms, and though placed below the sweet potato and rice in terms of popularity and importance by the Highlanders, the cassava was being made into much more different kinds of food like cassava wine, cake, rolls, sun-dried chips and more.

The banana is a tropical fruit but there are some varieties like saba and radja banana, which mostly preferred cooked, are cold tolerance and very common in the Cordilleras. 

The corn or maize is a perennial plant but the old folks have a habit of planting them on Holy Saturday or Sabado Gloria of the Holy Week. The advantage for this is accounted on the Philippine weather seasons, just imagine a plenty of freshly harvested corn supply during the rainy season.

The ube or violet yam was only a forage plant that could be found at the sides of the farms, but today, it is being cultivated as a major product to meet the demand of ube jam and flavor makers.

Avocado, papaya, calamansi are the most common fruits found in every home orchard. The sayote, native potatoes, cabbage, common legumes, carrots and the taro were among the vegetables cultivated for home use and as commercial products particularly in the Province of Benguet.

Today, the traditional raw products of the Highland Cordillera are being threatened by GMO, imported seeds and cuttings, and imported cheap raw products entering the market. Struggling against the said threats, the local government officials and local farmers are doing initiatives by employing policies, regulations and alternatives to make the local raw products competitive in the market.