The culmination of Mama Sita Foundation’s 3-session online Eskwela Caravan was chock-full of exciting delights! Under the Mga Kuwentong Pagkain banner, the event was entitled “A Celebration of the Filipino Flavor.” It was held through Zoom at 3 PM Manila time and 10 AM Doha.

The Eskwela Caravan was an opportunity for Filipinos abroad to learn more about their cultural roots through engaging lectures and easy-to-follow cooking demos. Participants were students of Grade 7, 9, and 10 at the Philippine School Doha, a non-profit basic learning institution founded in 1992.

Mama Sita's Filipino Food — The Eskwela Caravan Culminating Activity was hosted by Chef Morris Danzen and Mama Sita Foundation Legacy Custodian Ces Gamad. The duo directed the program for the day and kept students entertained with their conversations.

Awards, prizes, and fun

Hosted by Chef morris Danzen Filipino cooking champ from Sicily and Cecille Gamad of the Mama Sita Foundation, the event summarized the past sessions and revealed winners of the cook-off contest. A quiz game for the young participants upped the excitement factor, too!

Mama Sita's fun — Philippine School Doha Principal Dr. Alexander Acosta tells the students that this competition is not only about creating iconic Filipino dishes, but is also being able to bond with family and friends through the food we make.

Some of the attendees of The Eskwela Caravan.

Selected video cook-off entries from the participating students at Philippine School Doha were featured, with four Grade 7 Finalists, three Grade 9 Finalists, and three Grade 10 Finalists taking the limelight. From these entries, Daniela Suson of Grade 7, Rhaine Piloton of Grade 10, and Naira Sali of Grade 9 were chosen by the judges from Mama Sita Foundation to be the grand winners of the contest. The three Patok Na Mangkok were Unica De Vera, Jean Jaucian, and Richie Flories, all from Grade 7, who garnered the three most likes and shares on the Mga Kuwentong Pagkain Facebook page. To add to the fun, another Grade 7 student Regina Galvez serenaded the audience with a song number.

A venue for Filipino food culture

Mga Kuwentong Pagkain aims to promote awareness for Philippine heritage cuisine by highlighting the evolution of Philippine cuisine through history and how we Filipinos enjoy it anywhere in the world today. A project of The Mama Sita Foundation since 2012, the MKP offers a venue in which to share and appreciate Filipino food culture in a fun and interesting way. Through these events, the foundation continues the advocacy begun by Teresita “Mama Sita” Reyes of making known the richness of our food culture to the world.