Filipinos eagerly anticipate Blessed Calungsod’s canonization

By Ma. Teresa Yosores

After a long and tedious process averaging to two lifetimes of ordinary men, Blessed Pedro Calungsod will finally be canonized by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI on October 21 at the Vatican in Rome, Italy.

The date of the much-awaited canonization Blessed Calungsond, who will be the second Filipino saint, was announced on a media briefing held on September 29 at the San Carlos Seminary in Makati City. 

At the event, Fr. Marvin Mejia, assistant secretary general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), also revealed that the Visayan martyr will officially be named “San Pedro de Cebu.” 

The significant wooden image of Blessed Calungsod, that will be used to depict his image at the canonization ceremonies in Vatican, was also presented at the briefing. 

Fr. Francis Lucas, executive secretary of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Social Communications and Mass Media (ECSCMM), said that the image was carved in Paete, Laguna province.

Father Lucas then explained the image was that of a young Visayan man holding palm leaves and the Doctrina Christiana. The leaves symbolize the martyrs who offered their lives for the Lord, while the and Doctrina Christiana, or the Book of Catechism, signifies Blessed Calungsod’s works as a catechist.

Blessed Calungsod will be canonized together with Blessed Marianne Cope of Molokai, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha of New York, United States of America, Blessed Jacques Berthieu of France, Blessed Giovanni Battista Piamarta of Italy, Blessed Carmen Salles y Barangueras of Spain and Blessed Anna Schaffer of Germany.

Around 50 Cebu diocesan priests and thousands of devotees will be leaving for Rome within this week to witness the ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, led by its president, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, the Archdiocese of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, will hold a National Thanksgiving Mass on November 30 at the South Road Properties in Cebu. 

Among the expected guests are President Benigno Aquino 3rd, Vice President Jejomar Binay and other local, national and international luminaries.

Martyr and miraculous Pedro

Pedro Calungsod was born in Cebu in 1654. At the young age of 14, he was already serving as a sacristan and catechist. He also joined the Spanish Jesuits on missions to Ladrones Island. 

But it was on one mission with the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores in Tumhon village in Guam, that Blessed Calungsod’s martyrdom happened. Set to baptize into Christianity the daughter of the village chieftain, Calungsod and Vitores were attacked and killed. 

The chieftain, who was angered by the baptism, threw spears at Calungsod and Vitores. He then tied stones to the dead bodies and dropped them both to the seas. 

The 17-year-old Calungsod was absolved by Father Vitores just before his death. 

His beatification came three centuries later on March 5, 2000 by the then Pope, now Blessed John Paul II. This came after almost 25 years (on October 18, 1987) when the first Filipino Saint Lorenzo Ruiz was canonized.

It was then on December 19, 2011 that the Vatican verified a miracle attributed to him. 

This miracle took place in 2002, when a woman from Leyte province, who was pronounced clinically dead after a heart attack by physicians, was revived through her doctor’s prayers to Blessed Calungsod. 

And just recently, Pope Benedict XVI promulgated a decree and officially set April 2—the anniversary of his martyrdom—as his feast day.

Because of his martyrdom, miracles and faith, Blessed Calungsod continues to inspire many Filipinos to become his ardent devotees.

Century Park Hotel’s Oktoberfest Fever

Century Park Hotel joins the Oktoberfest fever with its line-up of activities and special promotions.

It is going to be a gastronomic experience of Greek indulgence as Century Park Hotel joins forces with El Greco Enterprise Corporation, for its Greek Food Festival on October 5 to 7 at Café in the Park. Feel the true flavours of the Mediterranean and reach Europe with just your taste buds for only P 1,215 net per person. 

In cooperation with the Wine Depot 2012, the hotel celebrates Restaurant Week from October 8 to 14. At a special promotional price of P 998 net, lunch and dinner buffet diners at the Café in the Park get a free glass of Veramonte Reserva Sauvignon Blanc or Veramonte Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Vittoria sparkling water and Vittoria coffee.

Century Tsukiji, recognized by the Miele Guide as one of Asia’s finest restaurants of 2012, extends its “Eat-All-You-Can” promo for all sushi lovers, still at P 888 + per person. Promo patrons for that week will likewise get a free glass of Veramonte Reserva Sauvignon Blanc or Veramonte Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Vittoria sparkling water and Vittoria coffee. This Japanese treat still includes a cup of miso soup and a plate of fruits of the day.

Photo courtesy of Century Park Hotel

Tapas lovers can now enjoy their favourite pica-pica for only P 388 + in our beverage outlets, Top of the Century and Atrium Lounge. Three bar chow platters are available for patrons. The first one has the mini Master Butcher’s favourites, the second with Spanish Beef Salpicao and third with mixed grilled Spiedini. All platters have mini assorted cheese and bread basket. That’s also with a free glass of Veramonte Reserva Sauvignon Blanc or Veramonte Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Vittoria sparkling water and Vittoria coffee during the Restaurant week.

And to catch with the Oktoberfest fever, the Top of the Century at the 19^th floor extends its Beer by the Bucket promo of 6 bottles of your choice of Manila Beer, Coors, Tanduay Ice, Beer na Beer and Ginger Root beer for only P 300+ per bucket. This promo from Monday to Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. is inclusive of a free plate of pica-pica of the day.

Atrium Lounge will continue the highly-successful unlimited Premium White Wine Promo priced at P 595 + from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily. 

Photo courtesy of Century Park Hotel

Enjoy a selection of Beringer Chenin blanc & white Zinfandel, Calvet Chardonay, Gruner Vetliner Hopler, Muscadet Sevre et maine, Pomino Blanco marchesi de Frescobaldi, Riverbank Riesling Wente and Stonehaven Riesling while listening to the wonderful soundscapes from the live musical entertainment courtesy of our resident pianist and Century Strings.

For inquiries and reservations, please call (632) 528-8888 and (632) 528-5907 or email foodbev@centurypark.com.ph

The Century Park Hotel is owned and operated by Maranaw Hotels and Resort Corporation.

New advanced vaccine protection against PD and memory loss 

By Ma. Teresa Yosores

Pneumococcal Diseases (PD) and memory loss may already come to extinction. But one must remember first the importance of vaccination if you don’t want PD bring you to expiration.

Target vaccine recipients of this generation are indeed lucky for the new advancement developed to what is now considered as the wonder drug that fights the most common causes of morbidity and mortality for many generations among children below five years old and adults 65 years old and above.

Pfizer public affairs and communications director Patricia J. Pascual said the new advanced PD vaccine can now be given to infants as early as six weeks and adults 50 years old and above.

Pascual said that aside from protection from PD, the vaccine contains memory cells that prevent – what else – memory loss in old ages. Another advantage is that it can be administered only once and the protection is lifetime, he said.

In the recently-held second leg of the Prevent PD (Pneumococcal Disease) Campaign at the Alabang Town Center, Pfizer Philippines emphasized the importance of awareness in curbing the onslaught of this preventable disease.

Ironic, according to the guest speakers, specialists Dr. Tom Realiza and Dr. Glenda Pereira. Both doctors lamented that lack of awareness is the reason why the disease proliferates. Dr. Realiza revealed that even some doctors do lack awareness on the prevention of the disease.

So aside from proliferating awareness on the disease, the event was also aimed to convince senior citizens about the importance of keeping a healthy lifestyle and they were given tips on how to practice this. Likewise, they were given free medical tests including blood tests for cholesterol and blood sugar, as well as consultations with doctors.

Dr. Realiza and Dr. Pereira discussed the severity of pneumococcal disease and the importance of recognizing its symptoms. They both agree that if the symptoms are treated early on, the patient has a good chance of surviving PD.

It would be best though to have the vaccination right away than procrastinate it until the symptoms show up, according to them. They said that the treatment can be burdensome physically and financially and there are always benefits with preventive care.

“In the Philippines, pneumonia is the most common type of pneumococcal disease. It is also among the top-ranking diseases for both morbidity and mortality. With its high societal burden to health, there is a need for an effective preventive measure, specifically vaccination,” Dr. Realiza said.

They strongly advised people to maintain good health especially when one is already at an old age because a weak immune system means he/she can be more susceptible to infectious diseases.

Celebrity advocate Pilita Corales also graced the event. Aside from rendering her singing prowess, she also shared to the crowd her own experience with pneumonia that landed her in the hospital.

“We have to make an extra effort to maintain good health, because it’s hard to get sick these days, not to mention that it is so expensive. Staying in the hospital is never easy. If it can be avoided, do so,” she pointed out.

She added that had she known about the vaccine, she could have spared herself the physical and financial tolls of the disease.

“Having said that, I believe that this campaign is a great way to encourage seniors to have themselves checked up, as they have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Corales stressed.

Meanwhile, Pascual said that the company’s campaign through information and education about PD and teaching effective preventive measures would empower the Filipinos to evade the burdens of this highly-invasive disease.

“Although to some, maintaining a healthy lifestyle may be as simple as having balanced diet and regular exercise, but experts recognize health education as an important part of good health,” Pascual said.

Records show that pneumonia is the leading cause of morbidity and the 5th leading cause of mortality in the Philippines.

Data released by Philhealth states that in-patient claims for pneumonia totalled 295,390, which amounts to over 2 billion pesos in 2010. In 2011, Philhealth claims rose to 327, 515, amounting to P2.5 billion.

Against this backdrop,Pfizer Philippines is inviting Filipinos aged 50 years and above to be a PD-prevention advocate by joining the Pfizer Life Club. For those interested, you may call the Pfizer HealthLine numbers 671-1000 (MM) and 1800-10-6711000 (PLDT Provincial Tollfree.  These are open from 7 am to 7 pm daily.

Italian priests’ influence on a Filipino chef

By Ma. Teresa Yosores

Century Park Hotel has a new pride added up to its roster of aces.

As the hotel’s management gears up for its upcoming 36th anniversary on September 22, Eric Beza, Public Relations , not only presented ideas on what sumptuous dishes and other treats their Cafe in the Park has to offer their guests.

Beza also introduced the man behind the delectable food presentation. The cafe’s new chef indeed has culinary skills and expertise that are far from the ordinary.

Though a Filipino, Sous Chef Ritchie Loteria is an expert in Italian cuisine which he gained in his 10-year stint as a chef in Italy!

Sous Chef Ritchie Loteria
of the Century Park Hotel

Chef Ritchie at work

Chef Ritchie readily narrated when his parents brought him abroad to study. He was 16 years old then.

His “training” in the kitchen started when he served as a dishwasher for Italian priests. During vacant hours, he would watch with enthusiasm how they prepare their food. Fortunately, he said, the priests were helpful and so they would let him learn the way they cook.

Being surrounded by priests in that stage of his life, it could easily be construed that he could probably be influenced to become a priest one day. But no, he wanted to be a cook!

And so in 1999, he pursued his dream at the Italian Institute of Culinary Arts, Fontana Del Papa in Rome, Italy.

He then became a Resident Executive Chef of Hotel Exedra in Rome in January 2004, the first Filipino chef the hotel had ever had. There, he was awarded and rated 2 Michelin star chef. His hard work also earned him a nomination as Chef/Restaurateur of the year in Rome in 2009.

As the year 2010 ushered in, Chef Ritchie decided to bring his craft to his homeland, the Philippines. He delighted his fellow Filipinos (and foreign guests as well) as he served as an Executive Chef as well as a Consultant in different posh restaurants and hotel. He finally joined Century Park Hotel only last July.

As the hotel welcomes another bright year – its 36th year – in the hotel and restaurant business, it has been giving out enticing promos and delightful treats of Chef Ritchie’s specialties that would surely satisfy one’s hungry pangs and even crave for more. Starting last September 1 until September 30, 2012, dining at the hotel’s Café in the Park is now at 36% percent discount.

Chef Ritchie presented his Tutto Italian cuisine that is available on Wednesdays at the buffet area. These are 

Roast Beef with stir-fried vegetables and herb sauce

Pasta with Black Truffle Sauce

Risotto Al Funghi Porcini
where the rice was cooked in broth
until the consistency was creamy
(the Porcini is a mushroom –
a delicious favorite ingredient
in Italian dishes that is
only available in Italy)

Skewers

Roasted Chicken marinated in rosemary oil

As for desserts, one would definitely go crazy for 

Baked Apple Panna Cota
and

New York Cheesecake

Meanwhile, Chef Ritchie can also be versatile as he would manage to come up with different dishes other than Italian ones. Since the Café at the Park has a themed buffet every day, Chef Ritchie and his battalion of assistant chefs would prepare Chinoy Cuisine on Mondays, Modern Filipino Cuisine on Tuesdays, Asian Classic Thursdays, International-Inspired Cuisine on Fridays, Chef Tavern Buffet on Saturdays, and Classic Filipino Cuisine on Sundays.

Chef Ritchie could only say that he has been having a wonderful time concocting dishes at the Century Park as he would repeatedly assure his guests that their restaurant is the only restaurant in the country that is strict with quality and not just quantity.

Philippine Navy

Retrieving the Interior chief’s remains: Navy divers share story

By Ma. Teresa Yosores, Correspondent

(Published on 25 August 2012, The Manila Times)

FOR some people, the five technical divers of the Philippine Navy’s Naval Special Operations Group (Navsog) involved in recovering the body of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo offer profiles of courage, determination, and humility.

In an interview, PO3 Rogelio Brizuela Jr. and PO2 Edgardo Vergara, two of the Navsog divers who extricated the bodies of Robredo and Capt. Jessup Bahinting from the wreckage of the Piper Seneca plane that crashed in waters off Masbate province, said that having a positive attitude gave them the strength to continue their mission despite the occasional dread of diving into the dark and vast sea.

LTJG Josephus Dimaunahan, ET2 Carlo Montiel, and HM2 Sergs Estropigan round up the elite team.

Despite the divers’ vast experience in search and rescue or retrieval operations, unfavorable circumstances—underwater currents, ocean pressure, among others—could place them in danger. Still, they had to believe that they could beat the odds.

Brizuela and Vergara, who began their Navy careers in their early 20s, said that they had mixed feelings upon finding the plane, as well as Robredo’s body, which they found near the door, and Bahinting’s, which was pinned down in the cockpit.

They also said that both men looked as though they had tried to get out before losing consciousness because they had already removed their seatbelts and the Interior chief seemed to be reaching for the exit.

The divers expressed sadness that the country lost an important government official, but also fulfillment for having completed their mission.

 “Napakasaya ng aming pakiramdam dahil nagawa namin ang trabaho nang maayos at ligtas [We are so happy because we were able to do our job properly and safely],” said 37-year-old Brizuela, a native of Albay province.

The divers also don’t seem to mind that British technical diver Matthew Reed and his team were initially credited with retrieving Robredo’s body.

 “We don’t let these things affect us. What is important to us is that we did our duty right, we are all safe and we were able to help those who needed help,” Brizuela said.

He also said that their mindset is always fixed on how they would serve the country properly, adding that they would rather give credit to the whole team.

 “We cannot do it alone. We need the help of each teammate and even those who are not members of the Philippine Navy,” Brizuela said, referring to efforts extended not only by Navy personnel, but also those from the Philippine Army, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police, local government units, and Filipino and foreign volunteers.

When asked if they are worried for their families because of the risks involved, the divers answered that they are lucky that their wives and children accepted the challenges that come with their work.

 “They are supportive, not only morally but also spiritually,” said 39-year-old Vergara, a native of Pangasinan province.

END

Rizal's 151st Birthday

Rizal’s cravings for sumptuous food tell that he’s human after all

By Ma. Teresa Yosores

Dr. Jose Rizal

(Photo courtesy of
the Order of the
Knights of Rizal)

MANILA, June 17 (PNA) -- Dr. Jose Rizal’s serious side have always been at the fore. The national hero’s writings helped in the Philippines’ liberation in 1898 from Spain’s imperialism, tyranny and cultural suppression. We know of him as the author of the all-time popular novels El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere. He wrote letters to his family which were collected, preserved and published by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) under the titles “One Hundred Letters of José Rizal to his Parents, Brothers, Sisters, Relatives” in 1959 and “Reminiscences and Travels of José Rizal” in 1977.

But since it's Rizal’s 151st birthday on June 19, featuring his favorite dishes could be more delightfully appropriate for a celebration.

Knowing these dishes would make us understand how he was like as an ordinary person. His writings were very much instrumental as they reveal those dishes that he craved for.

Thus, the “Kulinarya Kalayaan” food festival, which has been running from June 10 until June 20, has the theme called “Rizalian” menu. The management of participating hotels and restaurants read books and researched, particularly about Rizal’s favorite dishes and came up with their own versions, highlighted with a twist.

Examples of the food that Rizal craved for were Laguna cheese, mangoes, anchovies, tinola and monggo soup which Rizal repeatedly requested in his letters to his family while he was in exile in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte from 1892 to 1896.

Mongo Soup with Tinapa

Chef Rudy dela Passion of Century Park Hotel said that he and his culinary team prepared “a diverse gastronomic journey” for their guests. He presented to the media his unique version of five dishes such as the Monggo soup with “tinapa” (smoked fish) meat.

Aside from Rizal’s favorites and other local dishes, they are also offering Mussels Mariniere from France (mussels sautéed in white wine, onion, celery, leek, and butter); Cocido from Spain (boiled chicken, beef, bacon, sausage and vegetables); and Hong Kong (crispy) Fried Noodles.  Apparently, these dishes originated from the countries where Rizal had traveled.

Mussels Mariniere

Cocido

Hong Kong Fried Noodles

Dela Passion said there are still other dishes he included to connect with Rizal’s works abroad. Among them are Lengua Estofado from Spain (where Rizal practised his medical career and wrote his first essay), Fish Cordon Bleu from France (where Rizal served as an ophthalmologist and honed his skills in music), Sunday Roast from England (where Rizal co-founded the Asociacion Hispano Filipino), Sauerbraten from Germany (where Rizal came up with his Noli Me Tangere novel), Chinese Dimsum from Hongkong (where Rizal began to be recognized as an excellent eye surgeon), and Belgian Meatballs from Belgium (where Rizal finished his second novel, El Filibusterismo).

Philippe Bartholomi, the hotel’s General Manager, said that they have allotted a great deal to prepare for the food festival. “We brainstormed quite a long time to try to do something different. So we thought that going around the world with Jose Rizal was really a good way of having something special on the menu,” he said.

According to Eric Beza, the hotel’s Public Relation Assistant, they learned that the other participating hotels and restaurants presented dishes from the country’s regions. “I think we’re the only hotel featuring dishes from the different places, those from the travels of Dr. Jose Rizal,” he said, adding that the hotel usually prepare theme buffets – Chinese on Mondays, Filipino on Tuesdays, International on Wednesdays, Asian on Thursdays, Seafood on Fridays, Mediterranean on Saturdays and Filipino Family Fiestas on Sundays.

Meanwhile, Sous Chef John Philip Gomez of Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, beamed that it brings him so much honor to be doing the Rizalian presentation of his dishes. He wanted to come up with a menu combination showcasing what Rizal liked in real-life and as his fictional character. Gomez also included other dishes which are “hyped” like his "escabeche," cooked in his own standard.

“I found out that this guy (Rizal) is amazing. He was what a food blogger should be – he wrote well, spoke well and ate well. This is a guy with the Filipinos in his mind. He is an icon for me. So when I had to this (Rizalian menu), I said ‘I had to do this right’,” Gomez said.

The “Kulinarya Kalayaan” food festival is a joint undertaking of the Department of Tourism (DOT), the 114th Independence Day celebration Inter-agency Committee and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP).

As the DOT’s function is to promote tourism in the country, not only will it feature beautiful places where tourists can rest and satisfy their hungry tummies, they can also learn some historical facts while feasting on dishes being showcased by the participating hotels and restaurants.

DOT has received the support of 10 hotels and seven restaurants in the country’s key cities. These are Bayview Park Hotel, Century Park Hotel, The Bellevue Hotels and Resorts, Makati Shangrila Hotel, Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao, Golden Orchid Hotel (Zamboanga City), AIM Conference Center Manila, Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel and Casino, and The Heritage Hotel Manila;

Illustrado Restaurant, Harbor View Restaurant, Cravings Group of Companies (Casa Roces), Serye Café Restaurant, LJC Restaurants (Café Adriatico), Bacolod Chicken Inasal and Tamayo’s Catering and Restaurant. (PNA)

RMA/MTY/rsm

Food Trip

DOT, HRAP cook up “Kulinarya Kalayaan” for Independence Day celebration

By Ma. Teresa Yosores

(Photo Courtesy of the Department of Tourism)

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has collaborated with the 114^th Independence Day celebration Inter-agency Committee and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) to prep up a food festival in observance of the June 12 historical event. 

This is in line with the commitment of the various government agencies and private companies to drum up the significance of the celebration that commemorates the declaration of the Philippines’ independence from Spain in 1898.

Consequently, this historical event gave birth to the Constitutional Convention or Malolos Convention, thus, establishing the First Philippine Republic – the foundation of the Philippine government.

As the DOT’s function is to promote tourism in the country, not only will it feature beautiful places where tourists can rest and satisfy their hungry tummies, the tourists can also learn some historical facts while feasting on dishes being showcased by the participating hotels and restaurants.

Adobo with Fried Rice and Achara 

(Courtesy of Café Adriatico)

Monggo Soup with Chicharon and Crispy Fish

(Courtesy of C2 Classic Cuisine)

 Tahong 
(Courtesy of Century Park Hotel)

 Turon and Vanilla Ice Cream Dip
(Courtesy of C2 Classic Cuisine)

The food festival, dubbed as “Kulinarya Kalayaan Festival”, will kick off tomorrow, June 10, and will run until June 20.

DOT has received the support of 10 hotels and seven restaurants in the country’s key cities which will feature delectable dishes that are truly Filipino – some of which were favorites of Dr. Jose Rizal and other prominent and important figures in Philippine history books.

The participating hotels are Bayview Park Hotel, Century Park Hotel, The Bellevue Hotels and Resorts, Makati Shangrila Hotel, Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao, Golden Orchid Hotel (Zamboanga City), AIM Conference Center Manila, Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel and Casino, and The Heritage Hotel Manila.

While the restaurants are Illustrado Restaurant, Harbor View Restaurant, Cravings Group of Companies (Casa Roces), Serye Café Restaurant, LJC Restaurants (Cafe Adriatico), Bacolod Chicken Inasal and Tamayo’s Catering and Restaurant.

Sous Chef John Philip Gomez

of Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila 

answers queries from the members of the media

According to vivacious Sous Chef John Philip Gomez of Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, the management gave him the rules set by the festival organizers and then the freedom to present the menu.  Gomez said that he read books, did some research, and even tried to read Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere again amidst difficulty in the Filipino language. “I found out that this guy (Rizal) is amazing.  He was what a food blogger should be – he wrote well, spoke well and ate well.  This is a guy with the Filipinos in his mind.   He is an icon for me.  So when I had to this (Rizalian menu), I said ‘I had to do this right’,” Gomez stressed.

Among the food Rizal liked were Laguna cheese, anchovies, tinola and monggo, Gomez said.  The chef beamed that it brings him so much honor to be doing the Rizalian presentation of his dishes.  He wanted to come up with a menu combination showcasing what Rizal liked in real-life and his fictional character.  He also included other dishes which are “hyped” like his escabeche – cooked in his own standard.  “I’m really proud of what I’ve presented. I’m happy with that,” Gomez averred.

The "Gastronomic Journey" poster 

that greets guests at the lobby of 

Century Park Hotel

Meanwhile, Chef Rudy dela Passion of the Century Park Hotel, said he and his team have prepared “a diverse gastronomic journey” for their guests.  Aside from Rizal’s favorites and other local dishes, they are also offering those that originated from the countries where Rizal had stayed.  Among them are Lengua Estofado from Spain (where Rizal practised his medical career and wrote his first essay), Fish Cordon Bleu from France (where Rizal served as an ophthalmologist and honed his skills in music), Sunday Roast from England (where Rizal co-founded the Asociacion Hispano Filipino), Sauerbraten from Germany (where Rizal came up with his Noli Me Tangere novel), Chinese Dimsum from Hongkong (where Rizal began to be recognized as an excellent eye surgeon), and Belgian Meatballs from Belgium (where Rizal finished his second novel, El Filibusterismo).

On the other hand, Ilustrado General Manager Bea Pimentel said that the management has tapped the expertise of a Malolos-based artist, historian and food expert, Dez Bautista, in the preparation of a menu inspired by the inauguration of the first Philippine Republic.  This, Pimentel said, is also the restaurant’s tribute to the Malolos culinary heritage.

Dez Bautista belongs to the Bautista clan who owns an ancestral house in Malolos which has become a famous historical landmark.  The house, considered a present-time neoclassical masterpiece, was built in 1855 and was reconstructed in 1877.

Ilustrado Restaurant's menu 

for the Inaugural Feast

“Ilustrado Restaurant is a staunch supporter of preserving our Filipino-Spanish past not just through its excellence in providing culture-rich fine dining experience but also through its continued efforts to discover and bridge links in the arts, history and tradition of the past to the discerning taste of Filipinos today,” Pimentel explained.  The restaurant, located in Manila’s walled city, Intramuros, was named after an elite class of educated and well-travelled Filipinos during the Spanish era.

                                           

Pimentel said that they will present a unique menu “highlighting the well-preserved and traditionally-rich Spanish-Filipino dishes that delighted the palates of the very Filipinos that established and celebrated the Philippines’ first republic.”

Happy eating!

Lack of competent teachers may doom K-12 program – senator

(With a report from Maria Teresa Yosores)


THE Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) program may fail if the Department of Education will not have enough “quality” teachers who can help implement it, Sen. Edgardo Angara warned on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, an official of a personality-development school has expressed support for the program, saying that it would enable Filipinos to compete in the international arena.

According to Angara, the chairman of the Senate committee on education, arts and culture, more world-class educators are needed to implement the program and improve the country’s educational system.

There are about 510,629 teachers in the country, but about 99,628 more are needed, data from the Education department revealed.

Figures released by the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NSCB) showed that the number of Education Science and Teacher Training graduates declined over the past decade, from 71,349 in schoolyear 2000–2001 to 56,209 in schoolyear 2009–2010.

“We cannot afford to forget our teachers amidst all the changes that are about to take place,” Angara said.

“They will be at the forefront of our efforts to reform education, so we must do everything we can to prepare and support them,” he added.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Board for Professional Teachers (BPT) recently announced that only 13,925 elementary teachers out of 32,798 examinees (42.46 percent) and only 7,149 secondary teachers out of 28,764 examinees (24.85 percent) passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) for 2012.

“These percentages do not sit well with the national drive for global competitiveness and are a clear sign that a lot more needs to be done to educate our educators,” the senator said.

“Within the next decade, we must invest more time and effort to training our teachers,” he added.

The lawmaker noted that about P100 million in the 2012 budget of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has been earmarked for scholarships in teacher development.

“This is a good step, but for sure, more will have to be done to catalyze the reform process towards raising the bar of our teaching standards,” Angara said.

“More of our resources—such as ICT and social media—can be directed toward creating a national network where teachers can help train other teachers, share their experiences in implementing K-12, and receive input from education experts in other countries,” he added.

Also on Tuesday, Monet Ibanez, the school director of the John Robert Powers personality and image-development school in Muntinlupa City’s Alabang suburb, voiced her support for K-12 and similar programs like it, believing that it would make children more competitive later on.

“We at John Robert Powers believe that to succeed in the global economy, one must be equipped with the necessary tools to compete and build solid business ties,” Ibanez explained.

“Those who are poised to take advantage of these emerging and progressively transforming global opportunities will fully realize success,” she said.

Her only child, Jenina, took her basic education in an exclusive school in Muntinlupa that already implemented a kindergarten and Grade 7 curriculum.

Ibanez observed that children who went through these additional educational levels are more mature and surer about what college course to take.

“The child is not only more knowledgeable, but more emotionally matured to go through the rigors of college life,” Ibanez said.

According to her, K-12 would be advantageous to Filipinos, “so that kids are both locally and globally competitive. It’s an investment that parents should provide for their children so they can have the chance to be successful in their careers.”