MANILA, Philippines - Culinary arts in the Philippines may be a budding industry compared to Europe and the United States, but for sure that will not be for long. Already, Filipino chefs are contributing their talents to important establishments abroad, such as Nobu in New York and London, Harrods, even the White House.

In Manila, the Center of Culinary Arts is breeding a new generation of kitchen gods and goddesses that for sure will also be significant figures in the fine dining landscape once they finish school.

The reason we are so confident about this is the success of CCA, Manila students at the recent Food and Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge held in Singapore during the 2008 World Gourmet Summit, a prestigious and much-awaited annual event attended by industry leaders from all over the world.

The CCA, Manila students and faculty members raised high the Philippine flag as they competed with students and chefs from 17 countries. They competed in five sessions of the Individual Challenge category and all the students emerged victorious, garnering medals and citations from the judges.

?We want to place the country in the culinary map. It?s not easy to win because you don?t really know what the judges are looking for. Our creativity, stamina, and patience were all tested,? said CCA, Manila program manager, chef James Antolin.

Team of champs

Among the winners were CCA, Manila instructor Jose Alfonso ?Joey? Herrera, who won a gold medal in the Neptune?s Catch category, where contestants were asked to prepare a season dish. He made a poached sea bass.

Another faculty member, Enrique Manuel ?Ching? Yoingco, got the silver medal for the New Asian Cuisine category, where he prepared what he calls a ?trans-ethnic cuisine? of caramelized salmon with shoyu Grand Marnier, glazed foie gras, miso sauce with truffle oil, and soba-carrot that was juliened and rolled in cucumber.

Chef Mike Yap, who also teaches at CCA, Manila, bagged a bronze medal also in the New Asian Cuisine category, where he presented a Thai-inspired recipe of pan-roasted duck breast with Thai red curry, taro and purple rice galette, and tropic fruit relish.

Pinoy baking at its finest

Students Cora Apostol and Walter Wong bagged a bronze medal for the Pastry Showpiece and Plated Dessert Category with the entry ?Filipina,? which they practiced making for three months.

With the awards garnered by CCA, Manila, in this prestigious competition, the school affirms its role as a leading culinary education institution in the country.

Even amid the growing competition among culinary schools, CCA continuously leads the way due to its innovative ways of teaching, nurturing and developing a student?s passion for cooking.

True enough, its students and graduates have reaped awards in culinary competitions while those who work abroad have been noted to meet and even exceed international placement standards.

CCA?s faculty members have a strong academic preparation and industry experience that enhance the programs? course content and laboratory activities.

Going global

The Philippines, through CCA, Manila, is now the first country in the Asia-Pacific region and the second outside America, apart from Switzerland, to be given accreditation from the prestigious American Culinary Federation Foundation (ACFF), a premier professional chefs? organization based in North America that has 230 chapters and 19,000 members in the United States.

CCA, Manila?s certificate course on Baking and Pastry Arts and the two-year program in Culinary Arts and Technology Management were granted accreditation by the accrediting commission of the ACFF, solidifying the position of CCA, Manila as a leading culinary school.

The accreditation will give students an edge over other schools in terms of skills learned from the programs offered. Students who are graduates of accredited programs are eligible for ACF certification.