Press Release: Young culinary talents shine anew in Jolly University Year 5 Grand Cook-Off finale

Immense culinary prowess and kitchen showmanship by the most promising campus bets in the country shone the brightest at the successful finale of Jolly University (JU) Year 5 Grand Cook Off held at the St. Scholastica’s College in Manila last March 15.

The culinary competition among the top 20 elite finalists focused on elevating one’s culinary passion and recreating everyday dishes with this year’s theme “Innovate. Create. Share.” JU Year 5 is aimed at testing the kitchen skills and creativity of challengers in coming up with their best dish creations under the modern Filipino and fusion categories. The Grand Cook-Off attracted hundreds of culinary and HRM college students from campuses all over the metro and nearby locations.    

The top 20 finalists are: Richmond Suntay (University of Sto.Tomas),  Jericho Pareja (Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila), Jenald Pascual (NCBA Fairview), Phoebe Punzalan (CEU-Makati), Zire Oliver Romero (Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila), Andrea Marie Saclao (Lyceum of the Philippines-Manila), John Phillip Brocoy (Emilio Aguinaldo College), Moeko Shinshi (San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation Inc. College), Jesch Bodano (Far Eastern University-Manila), Tyrone Lemuel Ty (University of Sto. Tomas), Rafael Imalay (NCBA Fairview), Camille Dizon (Metropolitan Medical Center College of Arts, Sciences, & Technology), Ma. Trixia Joyce Sevilla (St. Scholastica’s College-Manila), Patricia Ong (Chiang Kai Shek College), Dustin Ryan Agoncillo (Metropolitan Medical Center College of Arts, Sciences, & Technology), Ria Daniel Arugay (San Sebastian College Recoletos), Daryanne Chanel Yongco (University of Sto. Tomas), Eduard Vargas (Earist), Pauline Galang (Manila Tytana Colleges) and Janzel Dayag (St. Joseph College Quezon City).
This year’s sole grand champion took home fifty thousand pesos (P50,000) worth of cash and prizes.

“A successful program takes time to build. While we envisioned JU’s success, we are still overwhelmed by how it sparked the flames of curiosity, creativity, and the cooking abilities of so many students in the past five years. JU indeed has grown to become a long-running program that is greatly supported by the academic communities as well as partners from various industries. By doing so, everyone took part in making the program thrive dynamically throughout the years,” Lucio Cochanco, Jr., President of Fly Ace Corporation, commented.
“We are really excited for Year 5 of Jolly University.  It’s great to see a new batch of talented and very promising campus culinary talents going all out as they presented to us their innovative modern renditions of Filipino classics and fusion recipes,” said Abigail Ng-Reyes, AVP for Marketing of Fly Ace Corporation.  

As to how the JU program is different from other culinary competitions hosted by food brands or organizations, Ramon Daez, General Manager of Fly Ace Corporation, said that “Jolly University has grown to become a prestigious campus-wide cooking competition that’s deeply committed in harnessing young students’ talents in cooking, pushing their creative boundaries as they come up with a prize-winning dish entry. It also promoted out-of-the-classroom learning experiences, the sharing of industry-ready culinary skills and techniques while also teaching the values of leadership, cooperation, professionalism, and creative showmanship.”  

“Besides the prize and fame, another unique aspect of JU is that it creates and supports youth role models. Past JU grand winners become influential role models to fellow students, and as ambassadors of a homegrown food brand that is proud to help empower the youth through cooking. For  participants, the program acts as a learning platform and vital stepping stone to their career paths as future food industry entrepreneurs and culinary professionals,” Geetan Raghani, Associate Product Manager for Jolly Food Line added.

For Year 5, greater social media engagement was achieved via the Golden Ticket mechanics wherein two of the chosen top 20 JU finalists can advance immediately to the final round during the cook-off. The two contestants who automatically earned the final slots are Richmond Suntay of UST for whose dish photo garnered the Most Likes and Shares on FB and Ria Arugay of San Sebastian Recoletos for the Most Jolly Canned Vegetable Product Labels Collected.

A program that began in 2013, JU encourages diversity as well as collaboration across and beyond academic borders while effectively transferring key skills to talented young students. Serving as a springboard to prepare aspirants in their future careers, the highly successful campus-wide competition nurtures cooperative relationships among students and institutions in promoting culinary excellence and food business innovation in the Philippines.

Jolly University Year 5 Grand Cook-Off is made possible with the support of event sponsors: St. Scholastica’s College, Masflex, Fujidenzo, Whirlpool, Tecnogas, UCPB, Jolly Cow, Lotus Biscoff, Doña Elena, May Sparkling Grape Juice, and Good Life.
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Press Release: 12th Philippine Grand Barista Cup and 5th Latte Art Throwdown

Allegro Beverage Corporation, the Philippine preferred coffee solutions provider, in partnership with LNA Management Group, will be staging the ultimate and the longest running barista competitions in the country.  The 5th Latte Art Throwdown will be held on September 13, 2018 and the 12th Philippine Grand Barista Cup (PGBC) on September 14, 2018 at the Asia Food Expo (AFEX) in the World Trade Center, Manila.

These events have grown popularity and are celebrated by industry and coffee aficionados, showcasing the exceptional talent and craftsmanship of Filipinos in the art of coffee - the process of blending, style, creativity, and presentation.

The objectives of these competitions are:

• To promote the excellence and recognition of the barista competition
• to increase the appreciation for specialty coffee especially Philippine Arabica beans
• to raise the bar for Filipino baristas competing in world championships.  Our highest ranking has been 13th place out of 60 countries at the World Barista Championships.

Leo De Leon, President of Allegro Beverage, is pleased to announce that the Grand Winner of each event will receive a Championship trophy, a Franke fully automatic espresso / cappuccino machine worth Php100K, a Barista Kit worth Php15K, free overnight hotel stay at Midas Hotel and Casino and Allegro gift bags from our valued sponsors. 

De Leon said that these coffee competitions in the last 12 years have highlighted the technical and creative skills of the barista Finalists in service presentation, creativity and passion for coffee.  He notes that more than half of our past winners have relocated overseas for greener pastures as there is a large demand for experienced Filipino baristas in cruise ships, hotels, casinos, restaurants, and coffee shops.

At a World Barista Championship that De Leon attended in Dublin, Ireland, there were 4 natural born Filipinos competing but representing countries from the Middle East and Austria.

Major partners for these events are EXPOBAR, MOAK Special Bar, Routin 1883 and Fruiss, Nuova Simonelli, and Franke fully automatic machines from Switzerland.  Other sponsors are MILKLAB, Malongo Atelier, Barista Philippines, UCC Coffee, UCC Academy, Blizzard Ref Sales Corporation and Far Eastern University. 

Press Release: Optimal Birth Outcome Program of Delgado Clinic

Dr. Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital, more popularly known as the Delgado Clinic, has been championing mother care for 70 years with a record of more than a hundred thousand babies being delivered to date. From normal births to high-risk complications, the Delgado Clinic has taken an extra measure of love and personalized care as all mothers do to make sure their child not only lives, but flourishes.

True to its legacy, the Delgado Clinic introduces the Optimal Birth Outcome (OBO) program, a free three-day workshop that serves as the ultimate care, support and education system for moms-to-be designed to minimize or even eliminate congenital defect, premature birth, new-born infections, and other chronic complications for both mothers and children.

An Optimal Birth Outcome (OBO) is achieved when there is zero or reduced complications. The OBO program does this by providing added-value services in support of the foundational needs of every individual mother. No matter what level of physical or emotional health they mother comes in with, the goal of the program is to provide the best possible childbearing outcome for each mother and child.

The OBO program focuses on five aspects of health that are scientifically proven to have wide ranging effects for every pregnancy.

•       Nutrition and Wellness- Delgado Clinic has localized the latest scientific nutrition information to support reduced negative birth outcomes, achieve optimum growth and development of the baby and provide a stable environment from which both mother and child may spring from.

•       Biotransformation & Elimination of Toxicants- The advent of urbanization has surrounded mothers with multiple toxic elements that are often missed and unassisted. Pulling from the latest scientific evidence the OBO program equips mothers with the practical knowledge of avoiding and substituting today’s most commonly used harmful chemicals.

•       Stress Management- Stress during pregnancy affects a child’s developing brain, metabolic system and body. Through the OBO stress mangament workshop mothers are taught the multiple ways of managing stress and its link to long term maternal and child diseases.

•       Exercise in Pregnancy - Physical exercise is an activity that improves or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. Exercise during pregnancy is important and can help with some common discomforts of pregnancy and support the body for labor, delivery and life after delivery.

•       Sleep Management- Establishing good sleep patterns during pregnancy is physically, psychologically and emotionally important. A good sleep pattern plays an important role in the preparation for birth, and protects the baby from the psychological stresses and strains of pregnancy.

Empowered by Johnson & Johnson, the First Time Mom Unit (FTMU) facility that caters to first time moms in their medical and hospital needs, and the Delgado Clinic’s Optimal Birth Outcome (OBO) program aims to deliver enriching workshops for the mother not only to give birth to a healthy baby, but also to be holistically healthy before, during, and after the pregnancy.

By signing onto the First Time Mom Unit (FTMU) and Optimal Birth Outcome (OBO) workshops, moms-to-be also become eligible to join on the “Bet on Your D-Day.” The exclusive contest created by the Delgado Clinic to give OBO participants more than just an educational reward but a chance to win discounts on their maternity packages and other amazing prizes.

The OBO program is scheduled to launch on January 20 followed by the succeeding workshops on January 27 and February 3, 2018 at the Delgado Clinic.