Recently, I was invited to appear on the TV show, “Adobo Nation” to talk about my work at Astig Vegan. I’ve been on TV before -promoting theater shows, even reporting the news, but there’s nothing like being on TV to talk about my life’s passion. I was invited to talk about my own work. I’m still pinching myself in disbelief!
What’s even more surreal was the reception I got from strangers after the show was aired on TV. I received emails inquiring about my vegan shrimp paste and personal anecdotes about their hopes to live a plant-based lifestyle.
The ironic part is, I had always braced myself for the negative backlash of my work in veganizing Filipino Food. I was expecting resistance. I guess the saying is true, “You are your own worst critic”. I should have been less cynical and more open-minded. After all, Filipinos are a diverse group of people with many beliefs and lifestyles. Who am I to say that all Filipinos would entertain only meat recipes? I was firmly corrected – and happily so.
The staff prepping the table. Minutes before the cameras roll.
The spread of the food I made and brought. The hosts and staff were taking photos before the cameras roll.
I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to talk about veganism to many Filipinos across the globe. I won’t take this opportunity for granted. It was a rare chance not given all the time to anybody. But hopefully, we’ll see more and more vegan representation in the Philippine media and in all media platforms.
Below is the full video of the interview. The producers of the show were kind enough to send me a digital copy to upload on my YouTube channel.
By the way, for those asking about my vegan shrimp paste. I am gearing for a new batch soon. I am including a special gift to go with it. I’m really excited and couldn’t wait for you to find out about it!
In the meantime, please email me at astigvegan(at)gmail(dot)com to reserve your spot. I’m waiving the shipping cost for orders of 4 or more. Ok that’s it, no more spoilers!
Thanks so much for all of your support. Your feedback means so much to me.