Thirteen teams participated in the competition which had five categories: healthy snack, salad, appetizers, vegetarian, and main entrée.
All entries were judged based on the number of local produce, colors presented, taste, creativity, presentation, and nutrition content.
Students from Sinapalo Elementary School and Dr. Rita H. Inos Junior High School were the overall winners for the primary and secondary levels.
Vicente Patrick Deleon Guerrero’s recipe called the Island-Style Fruit Salad garnered a total of 777 points winning him the top prize in the healthy snack category.
Deleon Guerrero is a third grade student of Sinapalo Elementary School and he said it was his mother who taught him how to do the salad, which contains 14 key ingredients, 13 of which are locally grown; one had to be bought.
Deleon Guerrero’s mother, Benett Deleon Guerrero, said they did not expect to win and were in the contest to have fun.
She said even if they did not win she would still be proud of her son and her family who supported them from the beginning.
She added that the experience brought her closer to her son.
For the overall secondary level, Thomas Manglona of Dr. Rita H. Inos Junior High School won in the appetizers category, bagging 613 points for his Wahoo Kelaguen recipe.
The two overall winners each won $50 in cash and vouchers, including PIC Water Park and Megazone passes.
The other category winners were Sinapalo Elementary School for the salad category entry International Salad, which garnered 605 points; Kagman High School, vegetarian category, Ratatouille Island Style, 502 points; and Kagman High School, main entrée category, Spicy Grilled Chicken with Sweet Mashed Potatoes and Papaya Salsa, 586 points.
Commissioner of Education Rita Sablan said she was proud to see so many students partaking in a contest that promoted healthy eating.
