The future is bright indeed for our next generations of Bakers and
Pâtisserie here in the Philippines. As new technologies and opportunities are set before them for the purpose of molding their skills and superb talents.
And for the past few years Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) Flour and Pasta Division has been supported to this cause. So for this 2019, they celebrated the talent of the Filipino youth in bread and pastry making as it hosted a friendly baking showdown last April 11 and 12.
As part of its Flourish Pilipinas program, which aims to support the local baking industry, URC Flour’s “bake off” put the skills of public senior high school (SHS) students to the test. It also enabled the participants to showcase their skills and knowhow gained from their classes, and multimedia learning toolkits produced by URC and the Department of Education (DepEd).
“We are happy to partner with DepEd for Flourish Pilipinas, and we are excited to provide more opportunities for Filipino students to try their hand at the rewarding and fulfilling profession of bread and pastry making. It is our vision to help create and sustain success in this lucrative and exciting field,” said URC Flour and Pasta Divison’s sales, marketing and distribution director Naida Ebora.
From making appetizing breads to producing one-of-a-kind cake recipes, representatives from Flourish Pilipinas’ beneficiary schools showcased their baking prowess at URC Flour’s new facility in Quezon City. The schools include Sta. Ana National High School, Camansi National High School, Don Enrique Bustamante National High School, Mahayag National High School and Mulig National High School in Davao City; Benigno Ninoy Aquino High School, Fort Bonifacio High School, and Makati High School in Makati City; and Sta. Lucia High School in Pasic City.
A home for baking talents
The baking competition finds a permanent home in URC’s first baking school, the new Baker John Academy. This 179-square meter facility is located in the rising Bridgetowne business hub along E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue in Libis, Quezon City. It is complete with state-of-the-art equipment and machines for bread and pastry production. It serves as an interactive laboratory and venue for budding bread makers, pastry chefs and culinary enthusiasts supported by URC Flour. A lobby café also serves as a showcase of URC Flour’s renowned bread products under the Baker John brand.
“With the Baker John Academy, we provide a world-class venue for our young Filipino talents in bread and pastry. We aspire to help them discover their potential and harness their talent and skills,” said Naida.
Supporting the country’s future bakers
Last year, URC Flour launched the Flourish Pilipinas program—a capacity-building project for public SHS students taking up bread and pastry making classes in the technical-vocational track of the DepEd’s curriculum.
This program aims to strengthen URC Flour’s role in nation-building. With the goal to help support the growth and development of the local baking industry, Flourish Pilipinas strives to promote bread and pastry baking as a source of livelihood and enterprise, and showcase the talent and skills of the youth today.
As part of its program, URC Flour partnered with DepEd to produce a multimedia toolkit that will help enhance the learning experience of SHS students in bread and pastry making.
URC Flour also supplied high-quality flour products for use in the practical sessions of the classes.
Flourish Pilipinas was implemented in select public high schools in the DepEd school divisions of Davao City, Pasig and Makati. It benefited more than 1,000 students in Grades 11 and 12.
No Comments