In the Ecclesiastical District of Batangas North in the Philippines, four families met for the finals of the Christian Family Organizations (CFO) Family Cooking Challenge for 2024. It was held at the Bandojo Residence, in Barangay San Roque, Rosario, Batangas, on August 10, 2024.

They were the families De Leon of the Kayumanggi Congregation, Sardea of the Namunga Congregation, Caparal of the San Juan Congregation, and De Asis of the Tanauan City Congregation. They respectively represented the four areas of the district, namely, Lipa City, Rosario, San Juan, and Tanauan.

During the event, the said families were tasked to prepare a chicken caldereta dish, a type of Filipino chicken stew. As for the desserts and appetizers, they created their own recipe.

The criteria for judging were mise en place and hygiene, correct professional preparation, arrangement and preparation, taste, and teamwork. The judges were Darlene De Lima, district president of the Christian Society for the Deaf (CSD) from Lipa City Congregation and a graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management (BS HRM); Eleonor Banaira of the San Isidro Congregation, proprietress of Ka Ellen’s Recipes Diner in Batangas; and Rosemarie Venteroso, a deaconess in the Tambo Congregation, who owns an enterprise of pre order pastries and kakanin (glutinous cake).

The Sardea Family (Rosario area) was declared champion; the families De Asis, De Leon, and Caparal declared as the first, second, and third placers, respectively. All of them were awarded certificates of recognition and cooking sets.

“We are very happy that we participated in this kind of activity launched by the Church Administration. It really inspires us and strengthens our faith,” said Liezl Sardea, a deaconess, on behalf of her family. “I thank our Lord God because all our efforts since day one have paid off. It is truly an honor and overwhelming for us to be the champion of the event. All glory be to God,” she added.

“The purpose of the event is to not only showcase the skills and talents of the brethren in cooking but also strengthen the love of brotherhood among them,” stated the district CFO overseer Brother Jefferson Remulla who, together with the district CFO officers, organized the said activity. — With reports from Ariel Fadriquelan and Hector Delos Angeles