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Press Release
TORONTO PCG AND MAMA SITA FOUNDATION CELEBRATES THE BUWAN NG WIKA AT BUWAN NG KASAYSAYAN AND THE QUINCENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES WITH MGA KUWENTONG PAGKAIN COOK-ALONG WEBINARS PROMOTING FILIPINO FOOD, LANGUAGE AND HISTORY
2021-08-12
PR-2021-44
The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and the Mama Sita Foundation marks the Quincentennial and this month of August’s Buwan ng Wika at Buwan ng Kasaysayan with the second episode of webinar series on 6 August 2021, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm Toronto time.
The three-part webinar series explores Philippine culinary culture and traditions in one and a half hour episodes packed with live and recorded storytelling and cooking sessions, restaurant features, and fun games for an enjoyable online experience for viewers of all ages. The Media coverage on this project can be viewed from the following link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=535628197558140.
The first episode titled “Philippine Rice and Foodways” was held last 23 July 2021, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm Toronto time. The first episode can be viewed from the following link: http://www.philcongen-toronto.com/announcements/959/mga-kuwentong-pagkain-filipino-food-cook-along-features-the-artisanal-goodness-of-mama-sitas-heirloom-rice-champorado-session-1.
The latest 06 August 2021 episode held from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm placed a spotlight on “What Our Ancestors Ate” and reconstructed the feast shared by our Philippine ancestors with the first Spanish visitors who landed on Philippine shores based on the diary of Italian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta. The episode also focused on the Aeta food culture, which still maintains Philippine ancient food practices that are sustainable and profound in the understanding of the environment and our role as its stewards.
Sustainability was also highlighted by featured restaurant Republika Restobar and Grill’s Jannie Luz-Benico, who shared how they were able to triumph over the challenges of the pandemic and emerge rebranded from being known as a bar and karaoke place into a Philippine restaurant offering authentic and sought-after Filipino dishes.
In between the presentations, participants learned how to cook the Visayan KBL (kadyos, baboy at langka) and Tofu Mushroom Sisig, a healthy adaptation of one of Pampanga’s famous dishes. The Adobo cooking challenge video of 6-year-old Jeanne Nathaniella Basay won the First Episode homework cooking challenge and was proudly shared with the audience with the hope of encouraging more young Filipino audiences to cook-along and try to make more Philippine dishes.
A new homework challenge to make KBL and Sisig was announced. The whole episode was also made more interactive and upbeat with games and stories by hosts Ms. Nastasha Alli and Ms. Cecile Nepomuceno-Gamad, as well as the wholesome engagement of the father-and-daughter tandem of Mr. Paolo Paculan and Ms. Malaika Paculan. Mr. Paculan is a teacher at the Ateneo de Manila High School. He taught all the Filipino programs in the high school of the university – from first to fourth year, remedial to advanced. His daughter, Malaika, is a BS Communications technology Management student also at the ateneo de Manila University and aims to pursue a career in journalism or law.
The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and the Mama Sita Foundation invites everyone to catch the last webinar episode of this series which will center on “Filipinized Food” this 20 August at 7:30 PM (GMT -4) for participants in Toronto, and 21 August 2021 at 7:30 AM (GMT +8) for participants in Manila. There will again be cooking demos of Philippine well-loved recipes, with discussions on its evolution and origins to how it became part of Philippine cooking’s timeless traditions and how they evolved modern adaptations.
“Mga Kuwentong Pagkain: Filipino Food Online Cook-Along” is supported by Sentro Rizal Toronto, and partner organizations: Anderson College, b2Bpreneur, Filipino Canadian Association of Vaughan (FCAV), Filipino Canadian Students Association (FILCASA), Markham Federation of Filipino Canadians (MFFC) and Scarborough Ontario Seniors Association (SOSA); and supporting organizations: Pinoylicious, and Pueblo Science. -END