List of Activities, 2015

LIST OF ACTIVITIES, 2015

1.         Membership/Election Meeting, January 17, 2015

The quorum requirement was satisfied by the number of members present and proxies received. New members in 2014 totaled 22, and the new members who were present were introduced to the group. The total membership count stood at 60. [Update:  It's now more than 80, as of August 2015.]

The new set of officers elected, for a two-year term ending in March 31, 2017, were as follows:  President – Pia Lim-Castillo; Vice-President – Alvin Reyes Lim; Secretary – Ige Ramos; Treasurer – Nanette Medina; and Member of the (newly created) Board of Advisers – Regina Newport.

The activities planned for 2015 were discussed at length (led by Pia, Ige and Alvin), and updates were given on the group’s finances (Nanette & Pia), CHOP merchandise (Pia), CHOP cookbook plans (Pia & ige), and CHOP Website/Facebook/Blog (Regee).

2.         Food Tour, San Pablo, Laguna, January 24, 2015

Organized by CHOP member An Mercado-Alcantara (owner/proprietor of Casa San Pablo, a bed-and-breakfast resort in San Pablo, Laguna). Thirty-two (32) CHOP members and their guests tasted their way through San Pablo City. As eloquently described by An in her itinerary for the tour:

            “The majestic mountains of Mount Banahaw, Mount Cristobal, and the Sierra Madre Mountain range embrace the city of San Pablo. Within this embrace are the prized jewels of San Pablo’s seven crater lakes, as well as huge tracks of coconut lands, which in the early 1900s was the biggest source of coco products in the world. These three geographic features—its mountains, lakes, and coconut plantations—have influenced the culinary traditions of San Pablo. The group experienced the city from the point of view of our CHOP local foodie, An Mercado-Alcantara, writer, clay artisan, and innkeeper. We explored its folk cuisine, the culture, and the charming people that make San Pablo such a memorable off-the-beaten path destination.”

3.         Ocular Inspection, Cavite Midlands/Rice Routes Food Tour, February 19, 2015

Pia Lim-Castillo, Ige Ramos, Regee Newport & Ian Newport visited and previewed the places included in the itinerary, and conducted a time and motion study to ensure that the Food Tour in March will turn out smoothly and without delays.

4.         Food Tour, Cavite Midlands/Rice Routes, March 14, 2015

Organized by our native Caviteño/CHOP member Ige Ramos (a multi-awarded book designer and food writer) in collaboration with the Cavite Tourism Board, 34 CHOP members and their guests participated in this very successful tour. The group toured the towns of Naic, Tanza, Gen. Trias, and Dasmariñas, visiting historic sites, ancestral homes, and churches; learning about Cavite’s history (including culinary history) through talks and cooking demonstrations; sampling its native delicacies in the various local restaurants; and enjoying a shopping spree in its impressive local markets. Among the local dishes sampled and bought were, among others:  Sinudsod (a crepe-like kakanin, or rice cake), iced Crystal Gulaman with Coconut Milk, Bibingkang Kanin (another rice cake), Pritong Muche, Pechi-pechi, Alikaya (made with purple rice), Seafood Paella Negra (Paella cooked with squid ink), Sopas Tanza, and Arroz Valenciana.

5.         Ubud Food Festival, Bali, Indonesia, June 5, 6 & 7, 2015

Six CHOP members plus one friend (Pia Lim-Castillo, Regee Newport, Nanette Medina, Beth Romualdez, Ige Ramos, Ginny Roces-De Guzman, and Ginny Mata) traveled to Ubud in Bali, to participate in the inaugural Ubud Food Festival, a three-day festival celebrating the richness and diversity of Indonesian culinary culture, and serving up a program rich in food mythology, authenticity and taste. The program featured at least 15 Cooking Demonstrations; 15 free Food Forums; 12 Workshops and Masterclasses; 14 Special Events, Book Launches and Wine Tastings; 2 guided visits to the local Markets; 2 Film Screenings; and a memorable Closing Night Party.There were so many events on offer that it was not possible to take in all of them, so one had to pick and choose which ones to go to. The events took place primarily at two venues, the Indus Restaurant and Taman Baca, both within easy walking distance from each other. The Food Festival was impressively well-organized.

6.         Food Tour, A Taste of Negros, July 25 & 26, 2015 (overnight or 2-night stay)

The tour was CHOP's first to be organized in a city a plane ride away from Metro Manila: Bacolod, the land of smiles. Impeccably organized by the husband-and-wife team, Tom and Michelle Bascon of Bacolod (and new CHOP members), and collaborated with Pia Lim-Castillo at the Manila end, the tour was an astounding success, so much so that there has been a clamor to repeat the trip especially from CHOP members who missed out. Tom and Michelle distributed to the participants an impressive handout detailing the program/itinerary for the almost two-day tour, with a brief but very interesting history of Negros and the three cities to be visited by the group -- Bacolod, Silay, and Talisay. The group's stay was packed with activities, from early morning to late at night, with visits to ancestral homes, historical places, local markets and shops, and sumptuous meals at restaurants/resorts where the participants happily partook of traditional Ilonggo food, including that not-to-be-missed Chicken Inasal. The group contributed a lot to the local economy, judging from the amount  of extra baggage allowances bought by participants flying out at the end of the tour, to accommodate the tons of pasalubongs they bought to take home. There might just be a repeat of this tour in the future, but only after Tom and Michelle have recovered from this one!

7.         Seminar/Talk on Promoting Pinoy Food through Social Media (August 1, 2015)

Held at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite, the tour was organized by Pia Lim-Castillo and Ige Ramos, with Carlo Fong Luy, a social media expert, conducting the seminar (Carlo's Mom, Susie Fong, is a CHOP member). New CHOP member Rey Lugtu collaborated with Globe regarding the required wi-fi connection. The objective of this hands-on seminar was to familiarize participants with the different social media platforms in use today, and the important role they could play in promoting Pinoy food. By the end of the talk, participants were able to use social media efficiently and effectively to spread their message, establish a personal brand online, and connect CHOP or themselves with the right followers and target audience. The sumptuous lunch was by Sonny Lua of Asiong's, one of the most popular caterers in Cavite City. Ige Ramos had also invited several purveyors of traditional Cavite fare, which the participants happily tasted and bought as pasalubongs.

8.          Food Tour, Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinatown (September 26, 2015)

This food tour is being organized by Pia Lim-Castillo, with a lot of help from CHOP members Ivan Man Dy, Susie Fong, Vicky Yu, and Emily Yu. CHOP will celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival in Binondo with a sumptuous lunch, followed by a fun Chinese dice game that is traditionally played among families and friends at this festival. Participants are encouraged to bring their families, including the children, who will be able to join the game and win prizes.

9.          CHOP Annual Banquet, Lecture & Dinner at Chef Jessie's Rockwell, (November 14, 2015)

A total of 28 participants joined the event, 21 of whom were CHOP members. The evening started with interesting talks by two renowned restaurateurs, whose families are famous for their families' work on Philippine cuisine: (1) Linda Panlilio of the Sulo Hotel, and (2) Maryjo Feraren of Aristocrat. The talks were followed by a Filipino-themed Degustation Dinner prepared by Chef Jessie Sinsioco.