Patrons organize cooking demo to raise funds for school in ‘Pasko sa Setyembre’

THE Banilad Center for Professional Development (BCPD) hosted a cooking demonstration of Christmas dishes by Cafe Laguna owner and corporate chef  Raki Urbina and an exhibit of Christmas decorations by Joy Borromeo.

Urbina’s recipes included beef cocido, paella verdura, Filipino vegetable salad with guava jelly vinaigrette and special palitaw.

The activity titled “Pasko sa Setyembre” was organized by BCPD Patrons Association last Sept. 24 to help raise funds for the BCPD, a technical-vocational school that offers hotel and restaurant training to young women from low-income families.

The association is composed of volunteer ladies who frequent the center, namely Cathy Cheung of Union Bank, president; Maribel Antunez, vice president; Neng Tan from Land Bank, secretary; Mae So, treasurer; Tess Tan, auditor; and Girlie Reyes, Joy Borromeo, Rica Ouano, Weny Cortes, Haydee King, Vicvic Tiu, Nena Calunsag and Annie Sande, members.

The “Christmas in September” is a yearly activity that started in 1992. For this year, the association chose the Filipiniana theme.

The patrons wore Filipiniana costumes such as patadyong, kimona dress, mestiza dress and barong blouse.

Around 50 people witnessed the event.

Darleen Claire Eballena, a BCPD alumna, has been working with Café Laguna catering for almost two years.

She said she learned about BCPD from a high school classmate. She said she previously enrolled in nursing but shifted to a two-year hotel and restaurant course at BCPD in 2009 due to financial problems.