Filipino chefs serve food for thought on innovation, sustainability at Tagaytay Food Festival 2025

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MANILA, Philippines — A panel of renowned Filipino chefs gave an insightful discussion on innovation, career, and sustainability during the second day of the three-day Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 (TFF).

The lineup included Hapag MNL co-founder Thirdy Dolatre, Ramon Uy Jr. of Fresh Start, Chaela Dee of Toyo Eatery, Bettina Arguelles of PYC Group, Stephan Duhesme of Metiz, Isabel Lozano of Decorum by MIL, Rhea Rizzo of Mrs. Saldo’s, Tina Legarda of Bamba Bistro, and Ryan Cruz, president and CEO of Nippon Hasha Inc.

The panel discussion was part of a full-day program that included cooking demonstrations by Chef Kalel Chan of Cold Storage and live forums featuring some of the country’s most respected culinary figures.

Innovation grounded in tradition

To start, chef JayJay Sycip served the lovechild of Sinigang and Laksa during the Fatted Calf x Restaurant Fiz collaboration dinner.

The ingredients of Padas Sinigang include dry aged sea bream, balimbing, Benguet tomatoes, alibangbang, calamansi, pansit-pansitan, and ginger torch flower.

While Filipino food is celebrated for its rich blend of flavors and cultural influences — many of which date back to the Spanish colonial period — chefs stressed the importance of innovation that does not erase Philippine culinary roots.

“For innovation to make sense, it needs to be grounded in something,” said chef Stephane Duhesme. “Understanding tradition is an act of respect toward the people who came before us.”

Innovation is not about replacing the past, but continuing the story in a new lens and a new voice.

Common Filipino dishes such as pancit and lumpia trace their roots to Chinese influences, while other household staples such as menudo, embutido, rellenong bangus, and adobo, evolved from Spanish and Southeast Asian culinary exchanges. The result — a cuisine that is both diverse and deeply personal.

“Authenticity is extremely personal,” Duhesme added. “What’s authentic to you may not be authentic to someone else. That’s why there are so many versions of adobo across the country.”

Yet innovation should not stop at flavors or presentation; it must also carry the legacy behind the dishes. The traditional processes and techniques used in Filipino cooking must be preserved, along with the stories that shaped them.

With the anticipated arrival of the Michelin Guide in the Philippines, chefs are both excited and anxious. The global spotlight presents an opportunity to showcase Filipino cuisine, but not at the expense of its identity. There’s value in preserving tradition.

“We should not Europeanize our food just to conform to international standards,” said chef Thirdy Dolatre. “Traditional restaurants should stay as they are. We need some people to remain traditionalists in a world that constantly demands reinvention.”

Farming should not be seen as ‘poor man’s work’

In many Asian societies, professions like medicine, law, and engineering are often placed on a much higher pedestal than any other career. Meanwhile, those who feed the nation are often left in the margins.

Farmers produce our food, they work long hours under the sun to plant and harvest the crops we bring to the table. As a collective, we must reflect that without them, there is no culinary industry to begin with.

While chefs at the Tagaytay Food Festival voiced strong support for organic farming and the use of native ingredients in Filipino cuisine, they acknowledged the deeper challenges tied to sustainability —from sourcing to economic viability.

During the open forum, an audience member posed a critical question: Can we truly sustain our culinary identity without relying so heavily on imported goods?

“We are an agricultural country. We are one of the most food-biodiverse countries in Asia. We have identified more than 300 food ingredients in our ecosystem, and our goal is to map all these ingredients found in the country,” said Ramon Uy Jr., founder of Fresh Start.

Uy pointed out that for years, national agricultural efforts have focused primarily on staple crops like rice and soybeans, neglecting a wealth of underutilized native produce. “We have 13 varieties of kamote and 15 varieties of ube, yet they are often overlooked,” he added. “There are so many ingredient substitutes around us that people don’t even know about.”

He also called on the government to provide stronger support in addressing issues in trade, supply chains, and market access. Farmers cannot continue to work if what they earn is not sustainable.

Chef and entrepreneur Chaela Dee of Toyo Eatery echoed the same sentiment, sharing her three-step approach to building a more sustainable food ecosystem: sustainable sourcing, community building, and giving back to the community.

Sustainable sourcing, according to Dee, means being intentional about where ingredients come from, and prioritizing local and organic grown produce. It involves supporting farmers who practice regenerative agriculture and environmentally responsible methods.

“If we’re not pushing for sustainability, yung ingredients natin, mawawala ‘yan,” she added. As discussions around food sustainability deepen, the call is clear: uplift the farmers, invest in agriculture, and reframe the way we value those who bring food from soil to plate.

You don’t only serve food — you also serve your heart

In the bustling kitchens where Filipino flavors come alive, Isabel Lozano reminds Filipinos that the country’s greatest resource isn’t just the land, the spices, or the bounty of local produce.

“The richest natural resources of the Philippines are its people, but we don’t take care of them,” she said

“They can be showcasing their talent here, but the problem is, we’re not competitive,” Ryan Cruz, CEO of Nippon Hasha Inc. (Mendokoro Ramenba, Yushoken, Marudori), added.

Lozano urged restaurateurs to rethink the environments they create within their businesses, and emphasized the moral responsibility of restaurant owners to care for their people.

“At the end of the day, we’re all human beings. As a business owner, you have a moral obligation to create a better world — at least within the one you can control,” she explained. “You can build a world where people are given a real chance to thrive. That alone can make a big difference in someone’s life.”

The career advocate turned emotional as she recalled one story that has never left her: a janitor she once worked with who quietly dreamed of becoming a server. She saw his potential and gave him a chance. With perseverance and heart, he rose through the ranks and eventually opened his own karinderya (eatery).

It is stories like his that fuel their purpose. They are proof that when people are seen and supported, they rise.

Cruz echoed Lozano’s belief that food businesses carry a responsibility far greater than what’s seen on the plate. He emphasized that providing the right environment for workers doesn’t just benefit the workplace; it also shapes how people show up at home, whether as parents or providers.

Rhea Rizzo of Mrs. Saldo’s spoke on the quiet yet lasting impact of leadership in the food industry — an ethos that mirrors the values of care and responsibility shared by fellow panelists.

“The most fulfilling thing is seeing the lives you’ve changed — the ones who grew with you. From gardener to service to line cook to your chef,” Rhea shared.

“Mentors see something in you that you don’t see in yourself yet,” Bettina Arguelles said, reflecting on the importance of creating a space for people to grow, and on how belief and guidance can significantly shape careers and lives.

Because in the end, food isn’t just about taste, it’s also about heart. It’s about the hands that prepare it, the stories it carries, and the quiet care behind every meal. That kind of love and intention might just be the most Filipino ingredient of all. – Rappler.com

Blaise Rellata is a Rappler intern from Mapua University.

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