Kumbira, Cagayan de Oro’s homegrown culinary competition, will celebrate its 30th anniversary from October 14 to 16, 2026 at The Atrium of Limketkai Mall. The Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association (Cohara) is staging this year’s milestone edition under the theme “Three Decades, One Culinary Legacy.”
Organizers describe Kumbira as the longest-running live culinary competition in the Philippines and the largest food show outside Metro Manila. It began as a modest gathering of local hospitality professionals and has since grown into an event that brings together chefs, students, educators, industry leaders, suppliers, and exhibitors from across the country.
The event’s roots go back to 1996, when then-mayor Pablo “Ambing” Magtajas issued Proclamation No. 01-96, which declared August 23 to 31 as Cultural and Culinary Week in the city. In 2005, the City Council passed Resolution No. 7314-2005, which set aside the third week of August as Kumbira Week.
The first Kumbira was held at the Grand Ballroom of Pryce Plaza in 1996. The competition moved to The Atrium of Limketkai Mall in 2003, and that venue has been its home ever since.
Over the years, Kumbira has helped put Cagayan de Oro’s food identity on the map. In 2004, during its eighth edition, it introduced the Sinuglaw Festival, which celebrates the city’s signature dish. Sinuglaw combines sinugba, or grilled pork, with kinilaw, or fish cured in vinegar, and is flavored with the local tabon-tabon fruit and suwa, a native citrus.
Since 2008, Kumbira has partnered with the National Food Showdown, sending local winners on to national competitions in Manila. Teams from Liceo de Cagayan University and The VIP Hotel are among those that have brought home top honors. The competition has also produced standout champions such as Lauremar Beach Resort in 1997 and Bigby’s Café, which holds seven Overall Champion titles in the Professional Division. Student powerhouses from Lourdes College, Tagoloan Community College, and Pine Hills Hotel in Malaybalay, Bukidnon have also made their mark.
The show has shown its staying power in hard times. In 2021, Cohara staged Kumbira’s 25th anniversary entirely online, drawing participants from Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
Kumbira has also looked beyond the country’s borders. Editions themed around the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) introduced halal categories to connect local talent with markets in Southeast Asia. More recent editions have added professional masterclasses, community tasting sessions under the “Tilaw” banner, and exhibition space for Northern Mindanao’s growing specialty coffee industry.
Organizers said the 30th edition is meant both to honor Kumbira’s history and to prepare the next generation of chefs, hoteliers, and food entrepreneurs to carry the region’s hospitality industry forward.
With three days of competitions, demonstrations, and tastings ahead, food lovers in Northern Mindanao can mark their calendars for mid-October, when Limketkai Mall once again becomes the region’s biggest kitchen.
Source: The Manila Times (https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/09/25/regions/cdo-hotel-group-to-hold-30th-kumbira-food-show/2432581) ; Metro Cagayan de Oro (https://www.metrocagayandemisamis.com/2026/09/22/three-decades-one-culinary-legacy-cohara-celebrates-30-years-of-kumbira/)
