Representing the Negros Island Region (NIR), Cadiz City’s “pinakbet mais-aya” is set to join the “Walang Gutom” Program Kusinero Cook-Off Challenge in Manila on July 17.
Cadiz’s version of pinakbet was declared the champion in the region-wide cooking tilt on July 2.
“Cadiz’s pinakbet has a twist with sweet corn kernels. But what really makes it more distinctly salty-funky is the city-made shrimp paste (ginamos),” a press release from Cadiz City said Sunday, July 12.
The champion cooks behind the winning dish are Teresita Villegas and her niece Connie Magbanua.
Dubbed as the “hacienda cooks,” Villegas, 64, is from Hacienda Fe Palid while Magbanua, 51, is from Hacienda San Remigio—all in Barangay Luna, Cadiz.
Conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the lead government agency for the Walang Gutom Program, the national cooking tilt aims to discover innovative yet accessible, affordable, and nutritious dishes for low-income Filipino households across the country.
Every new menu discovered in the contest carries has a noble mission to address poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, the press release said.
Villegas and Magbanua noted that aside from being nutritious, their version of pinakbet is highly budget-friendly.
Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said that beyond the winning pinakbet itself are the passion and determination of the two Cadizeñas.
“Pinakbet is for low-income families. It’s a very budget-friendly dish. Ingredients can just be picked from the backyard—talong, kalabasa, okra, balatong, amargoso,” Escalante said.
“Win or lose in the national finals, both of our proud cooks deserve genuine praise for giving pinakbet an evolving, nutritious flavor that every Filipino deserves to savor,” Escalante added.*
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