CEBU, Philippines - Talent and creativity knows no age. And talent wouldn't blossom unless properly cultivated.
Cultivation, however, doesn't only mean harnessing skills but practicing good values as well.This is what the students of Don Carlos A. Gothong Memorial High School have come to learn. They have been participating in the cooking contest that the Department of Education holds nationwide during the Nutrition Month, every year. Part of their main preparations for the contest is coming up with original and inexpensive dishes with vegetables as the main ingredient.
The choice of vegetables as main ingredient springs from the fact that most of the students of the school come from poor families. At least vegetables are not as costly to come by as meat. Therefore, they don't need to raise as much money for the ingredients of their contest entry. Besides that their recipe would be very affordable to do at home.
Since cooking is an acquired skill. For the students, learning how to cook isn't the only thing they acquire as they prepare for the yearly contest. They get trained to be creative - come up with unique dishes, to be practical and budget-conscious about the ingredients, to be resourceful and responsible as well.
In the July 18 school-wide competition, the Don Carlos A. Gothong Memorial High School students presented delicious creations like "Gold Nuggets," where squash was carefully formed into nuggets, "Pizza di Verdue," which is basically a vegetable-and-eggs-filled pizza, and many others. The competition proved that young students are not lacking in original ideas and creativity.
Ms. Elena Codilla, one of the Technology and Livelihood Education faculty of the school and the head of the competition, cited that their department has grown a lot through the years. In the past, their class equipment and facilities weren't enough for everyone and their classroom was too small to accommodate a regular class. With the generosity of the Visayan Electric Company and the Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., the school now has a spacious and fully functional classroom. The students now has better conditions to practice on their cooking skills. The school winners now have better chances as they go one step closer to the national competition. (FREEMAN)