Chef Joey Prats’ early life was far from ordinary. Confined to their family-owned hotel in Baguio City, he discovered his passion for baking under his mother’s guidance. This marked the beginning of an extraordinary culinary journey.

“Confined to the hotel, I often found myself in the kitchen, captivated by my mother’s culinary skills. Shortly after my 12th birthday, I asked her to train me in the art of baking. She agreed wholeheartedly, sparking the beginning of my journey,” Prats said. “I approached every lesson with a thirst for knowledge, inspired by this brilliant woman whose passion for her craft was palpable. Over the years, my passion for baking grew; it became my focus day and night. By my senior year in high school, I began contemplating my future. Though I dreamt of studying baking and pastry arts, no such program was available in Baguio City. Practicality led me to pursue a degree in Commerce, majoring in Marketing, at Saint Louis University. Still, I continued baking and selling my creations to classmates and teachers, saving for a trip to New York City to pursue my dream further.”

In late 1989, he became acquainted with the chefs, the director of food and beverage and the general manager of Hyatt Terraces Baguio. By the summer of 1990, he was invited to lead the Hyatt’s pastry kitchen, becoming the country’s youngest executive pastry chef at 21. It was a wonderful start to his career, only to be interrupted by the Great Earthquake of 1990 — a 7.8-magnitude seismic event that caused widespread devastation in northern Luzon, especially in Baguio City. It was a very traumatic experience to say the least.

“For the next 22 years, I built a career, contributing to diverse food service establishments and academic institutions, including notable names like Golden Bakery, Inc., Puratos (Philippines), Inc., The Mario’s Group, Rich’s Products Corporation (USA), Center for Culinary Arts Manila, De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management, The Culinary Institute of Aristocrat, The Embassy of Chocolate (Indonesia) and many others,” he said. “In 2012, after more than two decades of working in various capacities within the culinary industry, my passion for teaching led me to establish the Joey Prats School of Baking & Pastry Arts in Parañaque City. This venture allowed me to combine my love for baking and pastry arts with my desire to educate and inspire the next generation of bakers and pastry chefs.”

Over the past 12 years, the Joey Prats School of Baking & Pastry Arts has proudly educated hundreds of aspiring bakers and pastry chefs. Witnessing his students flourish — some establishing their own home bakeshops and cafes — has been incredibly rewarding. The core mission of the school has always been to transform lives through the art of baking and pastry, and I’m honored to be a part of so many success stories.

“One of my students, chef RV Manabat, has since become one of the country’s most-respected and sought-after chefs. He’s established his own restaurant and bakeshop in Biñan, Laguna, and become a YouTube sensation with over two million subscribers. Another student, Eldred Castilan, has set up his own bakeshop called Casa Elmira in BF Homes, Parañaque, specializing in caramel cakes, pastries and breads, catering to a large segment of the market,” the chef said