Moms give back

Mothers really do know best, especially when it comes to cooking. After all, when stumped with a problem involving kids and food, you’re more likely to call a “been there, done that” mom rather than a Michelin-rated chef. Also, mothers just love sharing cooking secrets; ask for a recipe and she’ll probably offer a cooking demonstration.

This was recently proven when the Ginang Alaska winners took part in an outreach program that aimed to educate mothers on how to incorporate milk in the food they cook and encourage them to be inventive when it comes to preparing recipes that use Alaska products. Ginang Alaska is the milk brand’s annual nationwide contest that honors women from all over the country who are both nurturing mothers and empowering, active members of the community. These supermoms act as brand ambassadors in the provinces and barangays they hail from. They also help in projects that further improve and develop their communities.  

Ten Ginang Alaska winners from five provinces — winners from this year and the previous years — volunteered their skills and talents in an outreach program that benefited moms from various barangays in the country. The Ginangs wanted to help mothers who, like Ginang Alaska Bacolod 2009 Annaliza Sesbreno, have difficulty feeding their kids milk straight from the glass. “Kailangan ko pa pilitin ang anak ko na uminom ng gatas.” The resourceful mom has learned to mix Alaska in her cooking or just uses milk as palaman for bread.

Usapang Kusina

More than a thousand mothers and kids from communities in Cebu, Baguio, Bacolod, Naga and Davao took part in a program that included the sharing of tips on how to encourage kids to drink milk and cooking demonstrations by the Ginang Alaska winners, educating the audience on the importance of milk by a local nutritionist, and food sampling.

In Baguio, Alda de Vera’s creamy pasta and Caroline de Vera’s savory seafood recipe, both of which incorporated Alaska products, were certified hits. Alda reveals that many even asked her for the recipe of her own culinary experiment. “Madali lang kasi siyang gawin — around 30 minutes cooking time — tasty, nutritious and marami ka pang mapapakain.”

Another hit recipe was the chopsuey with milk that Ginang Alaska Naga, Angelyn dela Fuente, prepared for a barangay in the Bicol province. Giving her own slant to the popular dish has made serving vegetables a little easier for this mother. “We just don’t cook for ourselves but for our family also,” says Angelyn. “The taste buds of kids are inclined to sweeter food. With this recipe, mothers realize na puwede pala lagyan ng milk ang chopsuey. It’s a little sweeter at mas mabango. Mas nagugustuhan ng mga bata. And they also get to eat vegetables.”

Ginang Alaska Davao winners, Maricel Makino and Leonora Salazar, also made a winning combination out of veggies and Alaska with a special tortang talong dish. “This torta is good for kids who don’t eat vegetables,” says Leonora, who was named Ginang Alaska Davao in 2009. “We also showed other mommies that you can add milk to other vegetables like malunggay and munggo.” The ultimate cooking lesson learned however: “Milk is not just for desserts. Puwede rin siya pang-ulam para mas maging masustansiya at masarap ang pagkain.”

Small Things Matter

Aside from providing cooking tips and sharing the many culinary possibilities of milk, the Ginangs also shared sopas and pandesal — hearty comfort fare — with their audience, and distributed products from Alaska Milk. This outreach program was really a way for the Ginangs to give back to the community. Ginang Alaska Cebu 2008 Navigail Cabahug, who prepared a milk-based dish with 2009 winner Nina Mae Abordonada, was overwhelmed with the gratitude from the barangay they fed. “We were able to reach out to other moms. We taught them how to cook healthy and nutritious food na hindi mahal,” she shares. “I was really glad I was a part of this activity. When the moms received the products, they were really thankful. Malaking tulong rin sa kanila at maraming silang malulutong pagkain with the Alaska products we gave them.”

Carolyn echoes the same sentiments. Says the Baguio-based mother, “Nakita ko na simpleng tulong at pagkain, masaya na rin ang mga tao. It feels good to help even just a little bit.”

Naga’s chosen mom Angelyn muses about how far a wielding little culinary muscle can go. “Kahit effort lang mabigay mo sa mga activities tulad nito, malaking tulong na rin yon. Hindi mo na kailangan maghahanap ng iba na tutulong sa kanila; ikaw na ang tumulong sa kanila.”

The Circle of Giving

Establishing the adagé that giving is also receiving, these mothers are also gratefully cognizant of what these outreach programs and other Ginang Alaska activities have provided them. New friends and acquaintances, for one. Enriching experiences, for another. For Leonora, who confesses her inherently shy nature, being Ginang Alaska Davao has widened her social network and helped boost her self-confidence. “Dahil sa Ginang Alaska, mas marami akong nakilala at nailabas ko yung tunay na ako.” Annaliza also had the same self-realization being Ginang Alaska Bacolod. “Dahil sa pagsali ko, nakita ko ang potential ko.”

Navigail proudly conveys how being Cebu’s ambassador for Alaska has empowered her more as a woman and a mother. “Ginang Alaska highlights the good things moms do and it also showcases their talent.” Navigail, who used to join beauty pageants when she was still single, confesses how she lost a bit of her confidence when she became a mother. “I thought hanggang home and work na lang ako. With Ginang Alaska, I realized that moms shouldn’t be trapped in the four walls of their homes.” After engaging in community work and participating in programs that show off her cooking skills, the Cebuana mom has set a personal goal for herself. “I plan to take up another course, maybe HRM, to widen my knowledge and learn more recipes that I can share.”

Alda is just thankful how being a Ginang Alaska for Baguio has given her more chances to do community service. Though she regularly holds cooking lessons for a few women in her barangay, she was glad for the chance to share her talents to 200 more women and children during the outreach program.

Coming into 2010, all these mothers, with their newly-met friends, newfound self-confidence and new experiences, couldn’t really ask for anything. Continued blessings and good health for each of their families, perhaps. And maybe more opportunities to help out their communities. But giving back to an audience that appreciates has been more than enough — surely, the experiences gained from this outreach program will last a lifetime.