Uplifting Lives, Inspiring Good Taste

This is why it actively-seeks communities whose lives have come to a sudden halt or whose everydays are struggles on survival.  These difficulties are, what Global realizes, the priority calamities needing help to last beyond a day.

Early this September, a group of Global Academy chefs, students, and staff headed by Chefs Niño Runas and Ogie Alberto geared up for this year’s outreach. Barangay Sunog Apog is one among several slum areas of Tondo, Manila located near the Estero de Sunog Apog. Its proximity to Pasig River and Manila Bay makes it prone to flooding all year round, and especially during the monsoon season.

After days and nights of rolled sleeves and the harmony of pots, ladles, bread mixers, and oven doors in buzzing kitchens, the team served fresh, hot, delicious meals during the community’s medical-dental missions activity. Wala pang balita ng bagyo, bumuhos na ang tulong sa mga kapatid na nangangilangan.

More than feeding hungry stomachs for a day, Global aimed to educate for the future. Kabuhayan cooking demos were held, featuring food items that may start the audience off on small food businesses – longanisa, tocino, and embotido-making, facilitated by the Academy’s very own Chef Niño.  All the driven volunteers were fully-surged by kind-hearted sponsors like Del Monte Philippines’ Contadina group (https://www.facebook.com/contadinaphilippines/) which gave encouragement by way of spaghetti noodles, olive oil, and pasta sauce. Donations of canned goods, instant noodles, snacks, bottled water and clothes completed the gift packs distributed to the bright-eyed and full-hearted taga-Tondos.

After the medical treatments, cooking demos, and simple feast, party-party naman! The Global Academy chefs exposed their warm side with fun and games for the children. The smiles, laughter, and shrieks  - from both the children and the chefs – brought sunshine through the clouds.

Chef Michael Yap, Global Academy Vice President, put this outreach activity in this admirable perspective – “Activities like this hopefully plant seeds of hope in children’s hearts and minds, that they are not alone in their quest for growth and development amid the difficulties of their socio-economic stature.”

This is what Global Academy is made of. It is centered on uplifting lives by equipping future culinarians with the tools, means, minds, and souls to be significant members of the community. Through delicious gustatory achievements, the Academy aims to help its protégés gain world-class culinary knowhow and the discipline and integrity that would propel them to success.