Diverse Stories, One Journey at WORLD BAZAAR FESTIVAL 2017

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Leading the pack in heralding the holiday season in the country, Worldbex Services International – the country’s leading events and expositions organizer – is more than thrilled to present the return of this year’s World Bazaar Festival, the longest annual charity bazaar in the Philippines. Now on its 17th run, the much-anticipated installment of WBF is happening on December 3 to 22 at the World Trade Center Manila.

Nearly two decades since its first show, WBF continues to play a key role in bringing magic and wonder into the lives of Filipino families with its never-before-seen holiday presentations and world-class bazaar events. This time around, WBF takes inspiration from the different stories of success, that have molded its reputation as the biggest and most-awaited holiday bazaar in the country, to come up with this year’s theme of “Diverse Stories, One Journey”.

From small businesses that have grown into thriving ventures through WBF, how Woobie has come to be a symbol of Christmas joy and charity, to the countless Filipino families who have made WBF a part of their holiday traditions, all these stories have all shaped WBF into what it is today – a quintessential part of Filipino Christmas. As such, at the heart of this year’s WBF would be its goal of cultivating far more joyous, memorable, and meaningful stories for everyone.

LCUP’s Year-End Triple Treat—Culinary Awards, Degustation Dinner, Venue Launch

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Malolos Vice Mayor Gatchalian Continues to Honor the City’s Gastronomic Heritage Artists

La Consolacion University Philippine’s Chef Jeremy C Malcampo marks another milestone in LCUP’s academic history with their year-ender Seven-Course Molecular Gastronomy Dinner—a triple treat of culinary awards, degustation dinner, and venue launch—themed “SATORI from the Kensho Zen Tradition.”

Indeed, Chef Malcampo’s concurrent roles as Director for Culinary Arts, General Manager for Café Barcelo Food Services, and Vice Dean for the College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management cannot be discounted.

He set up the Culinary Arts Program for LCUP after “we got him from La Consolacion College Manila,” confides Sister President Imelda A Mora, OSA, PhD. “LCUP is now recognized in Bulacan as a leading culinary school.”

Malolos—A City of Gastronomic Heritage. Through the tireless support of Malolos City’s Vice Mayor Hon Gilbert “Bebong” T Gatchalian, an engineer and staunch cultural advocate, LCUP levels up its presence in the province of Bulacan not only as an academic hub that specializes in hospitality and culinary arts but also as a provincial center for the Gastronomic Arts.

As Vice Mayor Gatchalian promised—“to continue to seek out, recognize, support, and preserve Maloleño heritage by awarding recognition to its heritage artists”— during the first graduation degustation dinner earlier this year, LCUP honors Adobo Magazine alongside three icons of the city’s rich culinary heritage: a second-time awardee and two first-timers who are institutions of popular Malolos cooking.

Joining Nanay Mercy D J Antonio, for heir to the 1820 Maloleño classic “Empanada de Kaliskis,” to receive the prestigious Chef’s Culinary Award are Ms Divina P Iso of “Valenzuela Bahay Pawid LTB (Lugaw Tokwa Baboy)” and Mr Gregorio S Dela Cruz of “Gorio and Mimi Special Kakanin.”

Bahay Pawid is a third-generation lugawan that is also known for its lumpia and kutsinta. “Our family started as a rice dealer, but when the business went down we turned to the lugawan business,” shares Miss Iso. “To promote our lugaw, we dared customers to try our lugaw and pay only if they are satisfied—if not, they get their bowl for free!”

Vice Mayor Gatchalian, who lauded the awardees by citing their place in the city’s history and heritage as leading proponents who helped shape the Maloleño palate and popular food consciousness, recalls being greeted by the store’s mynah bird and feasting on Mang Fil’s lugaw and tokwa—along with a horde of students from Regina Imaculada and Don Bosco—and craving for Tatay Gorio’s bibingka.

“Cooking is an intangible heritage that forms a big part of our identity—of what we are as Maloleños,” he avers.

Cultural promotion and heritage preservation are two valuable responsibilities that all of us should take to task; not only because these two are upheld by the Constitution, but also because through these two “we build nationalism, nurture patriotism, and promote human liberation and development.”

LCUP—A Center for Gastronomic Arts. While guests marvel at the tidbits of Malolos culinary history and heritage during the awarding ceremonies hosted by CITHM Dean Rossette C Tanwangco, this semester’s batch of graduating Culinary Arts students treated family, friends, and guests to a cornucopia of unique concoctions that make up their Japanese philosophy-inspired multicourse taster’s feast.

PH, NZ Sign Amendment on Geothermal Energy Cooperation

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippines and New Zealand signed an amendment on their arrangement on geothermal energy cooperation.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi and New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines David Strachan signed the amendment on Tuesday (November 14, 2017) at the New World Hotel in the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as witness.

The signing of the amendment extended the arrangement signed on October 2012 until October 2020.

The amendment aims to further strengthen and enhance the cooperation between the two countries on geothermal energy cooperation through government-level collaboration and the facilitation of private sector activities.

The amendment also provides for the continuous exchange of experiences and technical assistance in the field of geothermal energy exploration, development and utilization through capacity building and share of information, knowledge and current trends on geothermal energy.

The signing ceremony is part of the ASEAN Summit hosted by the Philippines.