The hosting of the Worldchefs Asian Presidents Forum 2023 was a big step in spotlighting Filipino cuisine on the world stage
Event brief
LTB Philippines Chefs Association (LTB means Les Toques Blanches or Lyon White Hats) won the bid to host the Worldchefs’ Asian Presidents Forum 2023, the first time it has ever been held in Asia.
This was considered an impressive win as Paris-headquartered World Association of Chefs’ Societies is the largest international membership of culinary professionals with over 100 national chef society members. It only has one member per country, and LTB Philippines has been a member since 2012.
To pull off the international event, LTB Philippines collaborated extensively with the Department of Tourism (DoT) and its marketing arm, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), where the latter helped to defray the airfares and accommodation of foreign guests.
Event highlights
Carlo Miguel, the immediate past president of LTB Philippines Chefs Association (he completed his term a few weeks after the event), said they timed the Worldchefs Asian Presidents’ Forum with regular food-related events in Manila.
To save on travel costs and time, the Global Chefs Challenge Asia regional semi-finals from August 2-5, was co-organised with the 13th edition of the Philippine Culinary Cup and the World Food Expo (WOFEX).
The qualifying teams in the Asian regional semifinal rounds then advanced to compete in the Global Chefs Finals during the Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2024 in Singapore.
The event also saw distinguished culinarians participating in keynote speakers and roundtable discussions on topics such as the latest gastronomical trends, sustainability practices, culinary education sessions, and the launch of a regional e-book.
Delegates got to taste chicken adobo, beef caldereta (beef stew), pansit (Filipino noodles), sinigang (a sour soup) and a medley of much-loved local desserts including halo-halo (a cold dessert) and turon (deep-fried bananas wrapped in spring roll wrappers). This helped to elevate Filipino cuisine on the world stage.
An important component of the event was the CSR activities. Delegates visited Baseco, an urban poor resettlement in Manila, where they provided meals and relief food packs to 700 families. It was such a successful outing that Worldchefs committed to a much larger outreach programme next year that will feed 20,000 families.
Miguel shared that Worldchefs Without Borders – which has been around a decade– usually provided monetary support during natural disasters in the Philippines, but the trip to Baseco was the first time that delegates witnessed the reality of the less fortunate.
Challenges
Organising the first Worldchefs’ Asian Presidents Forum would have been challenging for LTB Philippines if it were not for the support of TPB and PEP Tarsus (WOFEX’s event organiser). With their help, Miguel shared that the event ran smoothly with minimal hiccups.
Event Worldchefs Asian Presidents Forum 2023
Organiser LTB Philippines Chefs Association
Venue Conrad Manila Hotel
Dates July 31 to August 5, 2023
Attendees 100 delegates from 18 countries
