Filipino Food Movement Australia — Preserving One’s Cultural Identity Through Food | Your Aussie Story

Since migrating, there have been many times when I’ve wished that my mum could just come over and cook something for me or at the very least that I could just eat out at a Filipino restaurant but there’s none where I live. This is why today’s feature is a topic close to heart. Please welcome, the founder of Filipino Food Movement Australia, Anna Manlulo: 

A bit about us

The organisation started with a round table discussion with a few restaurateur, bloggers, and community members. In July 2018, I contacted these guys and they all said “yes, let’s sit down and chat about it”, and we did.

We all had a common question— why is Filipino food under the radar in Australia when we are the 5th largest migrant group in AU and the 3rd in NSW?

At first it was a monthly social connection, and then our discussions became more serious that we wanted to take action. By December 2018, we finalised and signed a constitution, elected board members and registered to be a non profit. I reached out to the original Filipino Food Movement based in SFO (San Francisco) and they were very supportive with their guidance and support, so we became the official Australian chapter for the Filipino Food Movement.

Being a part of the FFMA community

The FFMA is all for the community. Our collective efforts is to elevate our food, raise awareness about our culinary culture, celebrate our cuisine, and provide a platform and support for Filipino-Australian chefs and food businesses.

Prior to COVID, we had monthly meetings and members are involved in creating and planning projects, voting for officers and the opportunity to be part of the board. We reach out to members to assist with campaigns and projects. We haven’t had face-to-face meetings since the pandemic and we still need to review a long list of membership applications from 2020. To get involved as members, fill out the form from our website.

Is promoting one’s cuisine important?

As a first generation migrant, it’s important for me that my children are in touch with their heritage, and the best way is through food.

What is Filipino food anyway?

Filipino food is diverse, from indigenous dishes to food that came from years of Spanish/Malay/Chinese/American influences. We need to dig deeper to understand that our own food is not just what we know growing up. I grew up in the province of Quezon and I’m here in Australia, still learning food that’s native to that place. What each of us know as Filipino food is just a scratch in the surface.

It’s amazing that we now have a multitude of cookbooks about regional Philippine cuisines. Have you tasted food from Mindanao? From Zamboanga? Have you heard of the indigenous vinegar from Lucban or Ilocos? We have 7000+ islands and as many versions of Adobo, depending on which region you come from. In my opinion, we have the best varieties of vinegar. The basic characteristics of our food is a balance of sweet, salt and sour. And if you want to customize to your palate, we have sawsawan (dipping sauce) on the side.

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3 Filipino dishes that I’d suggest for Aussies to try

et’s start with the classic— chicken or pork Adobo. Then let’s try some Bulalo or Sinigang. Capped with some dessert— Sansrival served with barakong kape.

Margaret’s FFMA experience

My Aussie Story:
I’m sure everything that Anna discussed have ignited your curiosity. I know it did mine. Naturally, you’d want to know more. What better way to do that than to hear from one of FFMA’s community members and officer, Margaret: 

First, let me introduce myself

My name is Margaret, I’m a second generation migrant with a huge interest in fermentation. I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia predominantly by my mother. My mum is from Rizal in the Philippines and my dad is Hungarian and is from Novi Sad in Serbia (it was Hungary previously). Both my parents grew up in regional areas. My parents met in Australia, where they both moved to individually seek a better life with more options. My mum mostly worked as a nurse (she’s Filipino, obviously) and my dad as a bus driver.

Growing up in Australia as a second generation migrant

When I would visit my relatives in the Philippines I was shocked in the early days that they didn’t always have the same sort of hot water plumbing we had. And the toilet paper at their shopping centres were hidden or cost money to prevent theft. I do admire the entrepreneurship of Filipinos, as I feel many more start small businesses or side hustles than in Australia and I think they are often driven by necessity and need, not just passion or interest.

My parents’ experience

My parents both had a big learning curve migrating to Australia. My mum was an illegal immigrant for a period of time before fixing her papers and finding a solicitor, but back then things weren’t so strict. The help, guidance and advice from other migrants she knew who had already gone through the process were invaluable and made things less daunting at the beginning. She left an arranged marriage (in the Philippines with support from her family) and my 2 half brothers so she could earn much more money than in the Philippines and send it back to her family. This process of sending money back to support family is the norm in the Philippines.

My dad left mandatory conscription under Soviet rule in the Serbian army. His aunty Margaret (who I’m named after) moved to Australia for work as an interpreter and sponsored him. Her help and guidance during my dad’s working visa and eventual citizenship was so important. He started out in Brisbane and then moved to Sydney.

Both my parents had to learn the slang terms and customs in Australia and found joy in seeking out reminders of home in terms of food and friends. I think they both chose Australia over somewhere like America for more of a work life balance. It felt less full on and also a mix of nature and city.

My first impression of the Filipino food available in Australia

As our Filipino mums always say ‘we have food at home’

My first impression was that my mum’s food was better hahaha. Filipino restaurants and food businesses have come a long way though. I think the first places I ate at were FIlipino grocers that also had cooked food for sale. As a single mother, my mum would often buy food prepared by her friends who sold food almost sari-sari style from home. Things like pre-marinated Bistek and Tocino would become easy midweek cooking in no time.

(Note: Sari-sari stores are small neighbourhood shops in the Philippines.) 

Joining the movement

I initially went along to a Filipino Food movement picnic with my mum to suss it out. I joined FIlipino food movement to connect, learn and share the most important thing to us all – food. It’s our priority at parties, funerals and even just when we’re hanging out. I wanted to connect with other Filipinos who were also wanting to learn more about and raise awareness of our culture and preserve and share food traditions with the rest of Australia and the world. It’s nice to have a community of people to try the newest Filipino spot without having to explain everything as well.

If you want to reach out to the Filipino Food Movement, here are their socials:

Filipino Food Movement Australia’s Website
Filipino Food Movement Australia’s Membership Application form
Filipino Food Movement Australia’s Facebook
Filipino Food Movement Australia’s Instagram

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About the “Your Aussie Story” series:

Immigrants in Australia, though from different cultures and backgrounds, tend to have similar experiences and common ‘struggles’ as they build their new life here in Australia. Through My Aussie Story, I’ve been trying to help out people like myself to be able to navigate the Australian way of life a little bit easier by sharing my own experiences.

I’ve always believed that every migrant’s journey would be less challenging if we learn from each other. This is why we’ve created Your Aussie Story. Your Aussie Story is a ‘series’ in our website where we feature inspiring stories of immigrants in Australia.

Disclaimer: All content and information in this post is for purposes of sharing my experiences only, does not constitute professional advice and does not establish any kind of professional-client relationship.

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