Lucban: Bakers in this town will have an opportunity to showcase their skills and compete against other bakers at the 'Sugod Bakery Caravan, Matuto at Magsaya sa Bawat Masa,' which was launched on Monday at the municipal grounds.
According to Philippines News Agency, the winner will receive a P100,000 cash prize and an additional 'pangkabuhayan package,' which includes sacks of flour and baking essentials. The two-day baking caravan, sponsored by Universal Robina Flour, aims to harness the bakers' skills-from kneading dough to actual baking-and learn from celebrity chef Jac Laudico, URC brand ambassador, who attended the caravan launch.
Chef Laudico also demonstrated the baking of her very own 'Pahiyas bread' in honor of the famous Lucban festival, which will be highlighted on May 15. "This bread, a variant of 'monay,' is loaded with desiccated coconut meat and decked with colors like your 'kiping' (colorful leaf-shaped rice wafer)," said Laudico while baking the special bread inside the URC caravan.
The colorful "kiping" is part of the 'Pahiyas' or decorations, mostly made from agricultural harvest. Lucban celebrates the Pahiyas Festival annually in honor of St. Isidore the Farmer. The festival is also included in the Department of Tourism's calendar of events.
During the short program, Chinkee Andres, URC's flour marketing manager, stated their company's goal to encourage bakers nationwide to improve their skills and showcase local bread creations in an upcoming national competition. "Our flour's flexibility is perfect for Lucban's homegrown breads like bonete, broas, and lakas," Andres said.
Bakers from prominent Lucban bakeries, including Pekto's and Pavino's, registered for the caravan, eager to further improve their baking skills and be mentored by Chef Jac. As of this writing, 12 bakers have registered, all from reputable bakeries in Lucban.
Andres also mentioned that the ultimate winner of the contest will compete against other bakers who won in other regions. The launch was also attended by Lucban Mayor Agustin Villaverde, Lucban tourism office head Jen Babat, and bakers from the town's bakeries.
