By Justin Gayle Monje and Rodesa Tolentino
Photos by Gio Aaron De Guzman, Rae Cza Gonatice, Angelica Venice, and Khizea Grace Khimil
ICE’s Malaya sets off with the Cookfest (Mangan) where the Preschool to Junior High School students (Nursery to Grade 10) showcased their skills in making cuisines from the different regions of the Philippines. The event was held at the ICE Covered Courts on September 25, 2024.
As early as 6:30 a.m., the students, along with their respective group teachers and parents, were already busy preparing their stations, equipment, and ingredients. At 8:00 am, the event’s host, Ma’am Marilyn V. Pojas, greeted the attendees with a warm welcome and briefly introduced the event’s dynamics. It was then followed by the opening prayer of Sir Darwin M. Erang, singing of the Philippine National Anthem, and the opening remarks of School Principal, Ma’am April Joy Lim-Josef, LPT, Ma.Ed.
The participants were given 2 hours to prepare, cook, and serve a 4-course meal: the appetizer, main dish, dessert, and drink, that are based on their group name’s tradition and culture. After adding final touches to their dishes, they headed to rehearse their presentation and performance about their proudly made meals and short background regarding their assigned region.
The panel of judges for the event later arrived at the venue. They were greeted and introduced by our own Ma’am Marilyn Pojas. It consisted of highly acclaimed individuals and food enthusiast, regarded as ICE’s pride and distinguished alumni. The first judge is no other than Mr. Jejey Jhon B. Arenas, a former TVL – Home Economics student in ICE, who is now a sous-chef from the Monarch Hotel, a prestigious four-star hotel in Pangasinan. Our second judge is Mr. Victor Zeus R. Sison, who is indeed an ICEAN at heart as he graduated his Elementary, Junior High School, and Senior High School in ICE. He is now a successful businessman who owns different businesses located in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. Last but not the least, the third judge is also an alumna of ICE, who is a food enthusiast and the owner of Sakura Kampai Cafe, one of the most successful cafes in the city, no other than Miss Esther E. Millare.
They roamed around the covered court, carefully critiquing and tasting the final product of the offered delicacies. Their criteria for judging were according to three main components. First, the “Paghahanda at Pagluluto,” which includes the cleanliness of the workplace, creativity, proper preparation, and quality of taste. “Sustansya at Pagkokonekta sa Kulturang Pilipino,” being the second basis, involves the knowledge and explanation of the participants about their chosen dishes, their nutrition, and the proportion of vegetables and protein. The third and last , “Pagtatanghal ng Pagkain,” encompasses the healthy balance and proportion of the foods, appropriate blending of decoration and color, visual impact, and overall presentation.
The results of the jury’s decisions and winners’ awarding were announced the following day, September 26, 2024.
The Luzon group presented crab and corn soup, pigar-pigar, turon, kutsinta, and buko shake. They placed 1st runner up in “Paghahanda at Pagluluto,” 3rd runner up in “Sustansya at Pagkokonekta sa Kulturang Pilipino,” and 2nd place in “Pagtatanghal ng Pagkain.”
Dishes from the Mindanao team include pastil, beef rendang, knickerbocker, and buko juice. The group placed 3rd in both “Paghahanda at Pagluluto” and “Pagtatanghal ng Pagkain,” while they are 2nd in “Sustansya at Pagkokonekta sa Kulturang Pilipino.”
Palawan served grilled pork belly, buttered shrimp, cheese-encrusted grilled mussels, creamy dory fillet, and clam chowder. Their dishes made it to 2nd runner up in “Paghahanda at Pagluluto,” and 1st runner up in both “Sustansya at Pagkokonekta sa Kulturang Pilipino” and “Pagtatanghal ng Pagkain.”
Last but definitely not the least, the group of Visayas’ winning dishes include tuslob buwa, nilagpad, panara at sinugba, kansi, and buko juice. When asked about what served as their group’s biggest strength, the team’s very own main cook, Luisito A. Fortin, a student from Grade 10- Batch 2, eagerly shared, “I’d say po na it’s because hindi po ako takot magluto. Hindi po ako natatakot na baka masunog ‘yong pagkain kasi alam ko naman po sa sarili ko na I was chosen po na maging student group leader for a reason.” He further revealed that they even encountered a major struggle as they had to alter an ingredient from their original recipe that was later noticed by the judges. But because of their team’s fighting spirit and Luisito’s strong belief in himself, they managed to overcome every mishap and obstacle that made them bag all the awards and Mangan’s overall champion.
