BAGUIO CITY – More than six thousand professionals and students in the culinary industry will be competing against each other in the over seventy competitions lined up for them in the prestigious 10th National Food Showdown in the city on October 19-21, 2016.
Anthony de Leon, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) and general manager of the Baguio Country Club (BCC), said 70 percent of the participants in the different competitions are students enrolled in different culinary-related courses while 30 percent of the competitors will be professionals in the culinary industry.
“It is the first time that Baguio City will host the National Food Showdown and this will contribute to the growth of the local tourism industry for the overall benefit of the city. We will have our hands full in attending to the needs of our visitors during the competitions,” de Leon stressed.
Malou Galiste, HRAB Executive Director, and BCC assistant general manager, said the National Food Showdown will feature skilled and talented students and professionals from all over the country who have been adjudged winners in the culinary competitions in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Capital Region (NCR).
The theme of this year’s National Food Showdown is “Bringing the Farm to the Table” which is an effort of members of the hotel and restaurant industry to help in the promotion oforganically grown fresh vegetables coming from the different parts of the Cordillera during the scheduled competitions as most of the ingredients for competition dishes will be sourced from the local farmers.
Ann Ramos, HRAB Secretariat head, said competitions lined up range from food and beverage preparations, events planning and organization, floral arrangements, desert-making, among others.
The National Food Showdown is part of the 13th Hotel and Restaurant Tourism (HRT) Weekend being spearheaded by the HRAB from September 5 to October 21, 2016.
De Leon disclosed the members of the board of judges for the various competitions lined up for the Luzon elimination round and the National Food Showdown proper will be well-known national and international chefs from the different parts of the country.
According to him, winners of the different competitions will have the chance to join international culinary arts competitions such as the Singapore Food Expo and other similar activities in the United States and other parts of the global village.
He called on local residents and visitors to support the organizers of the National Food Showdown in the city to guarantee the success of one of the prestigious culinary arts competition in the country./By Dexter A. See
