Bayan Academy, in partnership with Nestle Maggi Philippines, offers a five-day culinary training designed for the unemployed/underemployed, micro entrepreneurs, including young mothers, engaged in the food business to help them secure employment, improve existing business and improve their quality of life. Likewise, the training aims to promote the value of nutrition, health and wellness through culinary training.

The scope of training includes product knowledge, different cooking methods, knife skills, food safety and sanitation, waste segregation, food sustainability, butchery, fish and seafood mongerie, ingredient substitution, maximizing ingredients and minimizing wastage, food plating and presentation, and seasoning and flavoring.

A rigid screening process is being implemented to ensure highly qualified applicants for the training. A comprehensive medical exam is also required as part of the food safety & sanitation compliance. Applicants came from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao though majority of them were from Metro Manila, particularly Quezon City. Each successful applicant received P12, 500 worth of scholarship.  Recently, a total of 94 scholars for four batches (equivalent to almost P1.2 M worth of scholarship) benefited the program.

During the training, trainees are expected to cook five to eight menus daily and write their practical insights (“aha!” moments) to ensure maximum learning. The culminating activity is a buffet dinner for about 80 guests who are family members, friends and relatives of the trainees.  The trainees were given a chance to experience a real taste of catering management from event planning to event execution which includes hosting, cooking and food preparation, table setting, ushering, food serving and dishwashing.

After the training, job coaching workshop is also provided as part of the value-added service for the graduates who may want to be employed in hotel, restaurant or any food-related industries. They were taught the value of the 3 Ps (Power of Self-Determination, Power Resume and Power Statement) in their job hunting quest.

Among the significant impacts of the training were increase in daily sales up to 60% for the micro-entrepreneurs; employment for the unemployed; and convenient, practical and creative ways of cooking for young mothers which their family members greatly appreciated.