PSCA joins efforts to boost culinary tourism

CEBU, Philippines - Aware of the lack of tourist destinations in Cebu City, the Philippine School of Culinary Arts (PSCA) has decided to actively join the effort of strengthening Cebu’s tourism potential specifically on culinary tourism by opening up a cooking class for foreign tourists.

PSCA executive director Libia L. Chavez said this is one of the reasons behind the school’s transfer to the annex building of the Maxwell Hotel, which is located along N. Escario St., from its former location on Good Shepherd Road, Banawa.

“We have transferred to a more convenient location primarily because we would like to participate in the government’s effort of promoting culinary tourism activities by offering tourists lessons in Filipino cuisine,” she said.

With PSCA’s new program, tourists, who want to learn how to cook Filipino dishes the standard way, may enroll.  Since the module is personalized, the length of the class will also depend on a student’s need.

“There are some who may want to be in the program for a day, a week or just an hour.  Some would want to really learn how to cook Filipino cuisine, while some would just want to look at the process,” Chavez told The Freeman.

She said the school now has two American enrollees availing of private lessons on how to cook sinigang, kare-kare and adobo, among other local dishes.

Chaves added that aside from just tasting our famous cuisines such as lechon, chicharon and bibingka among others, how these are cooked or prepared might also interest the tourists. Tour guides could include this in their tour itineraries.

Chaves said PSCA is now talking with tour operators to encourage them to include the school and its cooking class for foreign tourists in their city or province tours.

In a separate interview, Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano said culinary has always been a part of Philippine tourism.

“Whether it’s the lechon or the Philippine fruits, our food is part of the unforgettable experience that tourists cherish,” he said.

PSCA’s Chavez said the international definition of culinary tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable dining and drinking experience.  The cooking class will be Cebu’s added value to the city’s culinary tourism.

She also saw the need for locals to learn the art of preparing our own cuisines.

“Most of our chefs want to learn how to cook and present international cuisines such as Italian, French and Japanese but we tend to forget our very own. We have to also learn how to present our own cuisines in a better and attractive way,” Chavez said.

PSCA is now standardizing its Filipino recipes and compiling these in a recipe booklet to serve as textbook for their future students.

PSCA trains Filipino students the classical culinary techniques and a wide array of international cuisine to prepare them for the work in the international hospitality industry.

Chavez said its current location also makes it convenient for office workers to take recreations or professional cooking classes after office hours.

PSCA occupies the third to fifth floors of the Maxwell’s annex building, which also houses the hotel’s parking area and function rooms. —Jessica B. Natad