CULINARY Entrepreneurship students from the University of Santo Tomas achieved remarkable success at the KAIN Conference 2023 after winning awards for Best Paper in the Student Category.

Karen Grace Aster, Jaime Ramir Castillo, Shekaina Cheng, John Paulo Trillana and Ysabella Marie Varlez secured first place with their research “Sawsawan: Explicating the Culinary Heritage Significance of Philippine Condiments using Bibliometrics (1972 – 2018).”

On the other hand, Dylan Cariño, Victor Ian Cera, Ma. Sophia Medina, Louise Orlane Reyes, Arrian Karl Zaldivar and Thomas Dominic Zambrano placed second with their research “Amputi Balitok (White Gold): Explicating the Culinary Significance and Safeguarding Dimensions of Puto Calasiao in Pangasinan, Philippines.”

The research was conducted in collaboration with the municipal government of Calasiao, Pangasinan, with co-authors Municipal Tourism Officer Tammy Marie Fernandez and Municipal Agriculturist Gerald Quinit.

Both teams were mentored by Instructor Jame Monren Mercado from the Department of Tourism Management and the Research Center for Social Sciences and Education.

Mercado also co-authored the papers, showcasing the collaborative effort and expertise that contributed to the teams’ success.

Now on its third year, the KAIN Conference is an integral part of the Filipino Food Month national celebration and serves as an educational platform.

It aims to contribute to sustainable development goals by highlighting agricultural development, food security, nutrition, sustainable food production, and biodiversity conservation.

The event was organized by the Slow Food Youth Movement Network Philippines, Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Jose Rizal University where it was held.