When Lyceum of the Philippines-Laguna (LPU Laguna) takes part in a culinary competition, it forms a solid team with championship as its aim, and the team pours its whole heart and soul into it. Leaving no stones unturned, it launches into a grand brainstorming to explore all unique ideas that each member of the team may have in mind and synchronizes its efforts into one solid plan that it executes again and again in practice sessions until it becomes as close to perfection as possible come competition day.

No wonder LPU Laguna was hailed as the Overall Champion in the recently concluded Philippine Culinary Cup (PCC) 2026 held in conjunction with the World Food Expo 2026 (WOFEX 2026). This was not the first time that the school participated—and won! — in the competition, which is considered as one of the country’s premier culinary competitions and is a Worldchefs-recognized continental-level competition at that. Year after year, international chefs join some of the Philippines’ brightest and most accomplished chefs in the distinguished panel of judges of the PCC, so its integrity is unquestionable. Truth is, LPU Laguna celebrated its 10th year of participation in the PCC, and this Overall Champion honor that it took home is already its sixth. It earned its first five Overall Champion titles in the years 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2024. Thus, it not only turned what once seemed like an ambitious dream into a sustained tradition of excellence. It also established itself as one of the country’s leading institutions in culinary and hospitality education, as it consistently combines academic excellence, industry engagement, international standards, and a culture of continuous improvement. Despite the competition presented by Metro Manila-based culinary schools, it fearlessly holds its own, psyching itself to compete not with other schools but with itself so it can climb to another level of excellence each year.

This year’s competition was particularly significant for LPU Laguna because aside from being named Overall Champion, it also brought home an impressive collection of three champion trophies, nine gold medals (including six Highest Gold awards), seven silver medals and five bronze medals.

The institution also won two of the competition’s most prestigious individual distinctions — Chef Jeriel Encarnado was named Best Pastry Chef of the Year; and Chef John Carlo Palacol, the LPU Culinary Institute Director, was recognized as Best Chef of the Year.

Chef Jeriel happens to be the third Best Pastry Chef title holder of LPU Laguna, with Chef Abram Emmanuel Peralta winning Best Pastry Chef in 2016 and Chef Nelson Gamurot taking home the Best Pastry Chef title in 2024.

Meanwhile, Chef John Carlo Best Chef of the Year award gave LPU Laguna the school’s first Best Chef of the Year honor, and it’s the first time the honor was bestowed upon a university. Previous Best Chef winners include Chef Josh Boutwood, the Michelin Star Chef of Helm, Chef Kenneth Cacho and Chef Brando Santos of Unilever Philippines, and Chef Rej Cassanova Executive Chef of Sheraton. 

Both Chef Jeriel and Chef John Carlo are members of the LPU Laguna academic community, so their individual triumphs highlighted the university’s commitment to developing educators and industry practitioners who can perform at the highest professional level.

Among the six Highest Gold awards earned by LPU Laguna in this year’s competitions were Chef Jeriel’s entries in the Wedding Cake, Chocolate Showpiece, and Sugar Showpiece categories; Chef Myko Matienzo’s Bread Showpiece; and Chef John Carlo’s U.S. Lamb and U.S. Beef entries.

What probably makes LPU Laguna’s efforts successful is its mindset, as it views its participation in culinary competitions as an extension of its educational mission. The institution does not approach competition simply as a means of proving itself against other schools but as a platform for continuous improvement, innovation, benchmarking, and exposing learners and mentors to the standards expected in the global culinary industry.

The PCC provides a platform where competing schools, students, hospitality institutions and professional chefs are evaluated according to Worldchefs standards, so all competitors are judged and evaluated within the same rigorous judging framework. This philosophy has helped shape what LPU Laguna calls its “Champion Makers” — mentors and industry professionals who dedicate themselves not only to competing but, more importantly, to training and developing the next generation of culinary professionals who can confidently hold their own against the best in the world.

LPU Laguna’s 2026 team was supported by 110 delegates composed of competitors, assistants, understudies, marshals, volunteers, and supporters. Their collective effort reflects an important principle behind LPU Laguna’s achievements. The school believes that championships are not produced by individual competitors alone, but by an entire academic and industry ecosystem working together.

The school also maintains partnerships with industry organizations, suppliers, professionals and practitioners, thus giving students opportunities to connect classroom learning with actual industry standards, technologies, products, practices, and professional expectations. It also involves industry professionals in the development of LPU Laguna’s culinary programs, as it brings experienced chefs and practitioners into the academic environment, and the students learn from their experiences and expertise.