Toronto’s ‘Taste of Manila’ festival to return Aug. 21-22

A previous Taste of Manila festival in Toronto. (ToM)

The Taste of Manila (ToM) Street Festival returns this year with a promise of more Filipino products with new partners next month.

Dubbed the biggest Filipino festival outside the Philippines, the event is set for August 20-21, 2022 along Bathurst Street, from Wilson Avenue up to York Downs Blvd., North York, Toronto.

“The Taste of Manila Street Festival, after a hiatus of more than two and a half years due to the pandemic, will proceed accordingly,” said ToM Inc. founder and president Rolando Mangante in a press release.

Since its inception in 2014, Taste of Manila has proved to be the Filipino choice event to showcase food, crafts and merchandise. “Location, location, location” is what people say is key to business success, its website reads.

An estimated 75,000 visitors came for the inaugural 2014 festival. The attendance in 2015 has more than doubled with 200,000 visitors.

ToM Inc. founder and president Rolando Mangante. (ToM)

In 2016, a whopping estimate of 350,000 people came to enjoy the big fiesta. After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s surprise visit, news about the festival became viral – reaching all ends of the world through global publications, on line sites and social media.   Much more, our sponsors and vendors got maximum advertising and promotional exposure, it added.

With the aim of showcasing Filipino-made products, Mangante said they will launch the One Town, One Product (OTOP) Program of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry this year.

Through a Memorandum of Agreement between ToM and OTOP Inc., ToM will operate and manage the OTOP project in Canada and will supervise the OTOP Hub in Toronto.

They are now open for registration for sponsors, booth vendors, exhibitors and media through its website. Earlier, reports that the festival will not push through and allegations against Mangante began circulating in some quarters.

Mangante assured all participants that the event will go on as scheduled and it is being organized and managed by International Entertainment Company and spearheaded by Cecille Araneta, “a reliable and seasoned event/concert producer,” its press release also read.