Villar Foundation stages 11th urban gardening, cooking festival

The Villar Foundation held its 11th Urban Gardening and Cooking Festival on Thursday, 14 May, at the Villar Foundation Complex.

The event promoted sustainable living activities, food security, and environmental awareness, with participants from various barangays and schools taking part.

The cooking competition featured unique dishes from participants, ranging from chicken, fish, and pork dishes to creamy and crunchy sweet desserts.

Former senator Cynthia Villar headlined the event and acknowledged participants from Las Piñas, including Sen. Camille Villar, who also attended and joined the judges during the food tasting segment.

Guests at the Urban Gardening Festival included former Department of Agriculture (DA) director Vivencio Mamaril, organic farming practitioner Emma Tolentino, and Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry representative Ernie Bollosa. They judged the dishes based on nutritional value, affordability, flavor, and other criteria.

Winners received cash prizes ranging from P10,000 to P30,000, along with trophies symbolizing their victory in the barangay and school categories.

Barangay Talon 1 was named grand champion of the cooking competition and won P30,000.