CCA, Manila: Serving 15 years of culinary success

MANILA, Philippines - Fifteen glorious years of culinary excellence — that is how faculty, students and alumni describe the Center for Culinary Arts, Manila, the country’s premier school for the culinary arts, as it celebrated its 15th anniversary recently with a lineup of activities. 

CCA has much to celebrate: a number of its chef-instructors passed the stringent certification exams by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), and the school recently unveiled a new façade and facilities.

As part of the 15th anniversary celebration, a three-chef delegation composed of ACF chefs Don Dickinson, Derek Spendlove and James Taylor visited CCA, Manila to administer practical tests from the American Culinary Federation Educational Foundation accredited programs for ACF certification to chef-instructors on culinary competency. As prime mover and trailblazer in the industry, CCA, Manila chefs were the first batch of Filipinos to receive this prestigious culinary career recognition. And such a move has also distinguished CCA, Manila as an accredited ACF test site for certification in the country.

“We commend CCA, Manila for this most recent achievement, as it coincides with the school’s 15th foundation anniversary,” said chef Dickinson, who was impressed not only with the facilities but also with the quality of students and instructors being produced. 

“We are proud that the ACF has become part of the school’s pursuit for excellence in culinary education, not only in the Philippines but also on the international scene,” chef Spendlove added.

A special event that coincided with the anniversary was “A Crowd of Three,” which saw three of the country’s top chefs, Ed Quimson, Sau Del Rosario and Robbie Goco, gather together not only to demonstrate their culinary artistry but also to share knowledge and tips with an audience of parents, culinary students, along with former alumni and their loved ones.  

Kitchen stars at CCA: The country’s top chefs Sau del Rosario, Ed Quimson and Robbie Goco demonstrate their culinary artistry and share their knowledge.

On the evening of the anniversary held recently, CCA, Manila unveiled the school’s new façade, with the school’s logo prominently featured on the building’s frontispiece. A large gathering of students, alumni, faculty and guest personalities attended the unveiling. They later proceeded to the new hall of the school, where a testimonial dinner was held. 

“As the pioneering institution for culinary education in the country, we feel that we are responsible not only to ourselves but to the larger community where we belong,” said Dr. Veritas Luna, CCA, Manila’s managing director. “We will continue to break ground and be the benchmark of excellence.”

Celebrity chefs Tristan Encarnacion and Rosebud Benitez, both CCA graduates, served as emcees of the event. During the program, chefs Spendlove and Dickinson of ACF handed out professional certificates to the school’s faculty members, led by CCA’s academic programs manager, chef Melissa Sison, who attained an ACF certified executive chef title, a feat that makes her the first female certified executive chef in the country. Other chef awardees include Tim Abejuela (certified chef de cuisine), Mira Cruz (certified chef de cuisine), Jon Tin (certified chef de cuisine), May Martinez (certified pastry culinarian), Guia Angkaw (certified sous chef), April Martinez (certified sous chef), Carol Lavin (certified working pastry chef), and Anne Atanacio (certified working pastry chef).

It became a timely occasion to announce the recipients of CCA, Manila Recognition Awards, given to the school’s outstanding student, faculty, non-teaching staff and alumni for excellence in service and exceptional contributions to their profession, community and environment.  

One of the highlights of the evening was the unveiling of the booklet 15 Years Why CCA Knows Best, which showcases not only the achievements and milestones of the school’s 15-year history but also pays tribute to the motherly care and guidance of the mother-and-daughter tandem of CCA, Manila and Cravings Group founder Susana “Annie” Pascual-Guerrero and daughter, Cravings Group CEO Marinela “Badjie” Guerrero-Trinidad, who stewarded the school and its flagship programs and curriculum to its present world-class status.

Where cooking is state-of-the-art: The new CCA building along Katipunan in Quezon City

Chef Carol Lavin and her Level Three baking and pastry arts students gave everyone a surprise by parading 15 wonderfully crafted cakes, ending with a five-foot-tall tower cake. After blowing the candles, Annie wished that CCA, Manila would last another 15, even 25 more years. 

“We hope to reach out to more aspiring and budding chefs by creating more satellite campuses, so that we can help fulfill their dreams,” she said about her plans and dreams for the school, as CCA, Manila continues to uphold its banner of excellence in quality culinary education in the Philippines.