TO HONOR her achievements, internationally-acclaimed chef and restaurateur Dr. Margarita Forés was conferred the Doctor of Entrepreneurial Management Honoris Causa by the Far Eastern University.

“FEU recognizes Forés for being an outstanding individual who pursued excellence by establishing businesses in the hospitality and culinary industry,” Aurelio Montinola III, FEU chairman, said.

The University said Forés showcases her extensive experience in gastronomy par excellence having catered to some royalties and heads of state.

This includes serving the Duke of York and the King and Queen of Spain at the Palacio Real de El Pardo in Madrid during the state visit of former President Gloria Arroyo in 2007, US President Barack Obama in 2015, and the Emperor and Empress of Japan.

Forés is also well known for delivering high-quality gourmet cuisine to the Filipino public. She is the owner of Cibo, an Italian restaurant, and Lusso, a champagne bar.

“She is a passionate advocate for the best locally sourced organic produce from provincial farmers and celebrates homegrown ingredients. She proved to be a bonafide locavore when she opened Grace Park, a restaurant that celebrates homegrown ingredients,” Montinola said.

In her commencement speech, Forés shared that failures “were her bigger lessons than successes,” and it was after Cibo’s success that she found her true calling.

“I want to rediscover our own cuisine and our ingredients, a lesson I learned from getting to know Italian cuisine and culture and their respect for ingredients,” she said.

“Today, my real advocacy and what I thrive on, and what I really want to do until I get old is to continue to push for Filipino cuisine, Filipino ingredients, support the Filipino farmer and the artisan, and really put our cuisine on the global stage,” she added.