Nestlé Philippines, through its flagship program MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Advocacy, recently partnered with Vanjo Merano, the popular content creator behind Panlasang Pinoy, to inspire Filipino homecooks to prepare nutritious, delicious, and affordable meals. This collaboration aims to promote food security and sustainability through urban agriculture, empowering communities to grow their own food and incorporate healthy ingredients into their daily cooking.
On June 5, 2024, the culmination of this initiative took place at the MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Garden, located at the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) Los Baños National Crop Research, Development and Production Support Center (DA-BPI-LBNCRDPSC). The event, a joint effort with the DA’s National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program, featured a unique blend of gardening and culinary experiences designed to inspire and educate attendees.
The day began with a warm welcome from Ms. Nina Rosales, Agriculturist II at DA BPI-LBNCRDPSC, who led the participants through a series of planting demonstrations. The attendees, including media personnel and 18 home cooks from Brgy. Mayondon in Los Baños, learned valuable techniques for cultivating vegetables both in conventional garden plots and in containers. The hands-on demonstrations emphasized the ease and practicality of growing one’s own vegetables, even in urban settings.
Among the participants was my 9-year-old daughter, Sammy, who loves eating vegetables. Although we did not get to harvest the vegetables ourselves, we eagerly watched the harvesting demonstration. Seeing the fresh eggplant, okra, upland kangkong, and bush sitao being gathered from the garden was an eye-opening experience for Sammy. It sparked her interest in gardening and reinforced her love for vegetables.
The highlight of the event was the live cooking demonstration by Chef Erik of Maggi and Chef Vanjo Merano. They created a variety of delicious farm-to-table meals ideal for the rainy season using recently gathered veggies and Nestlé-Maggi products. The cooking demonstration promoted the idea of urban agriculture and healthy eating by demonstrating how easy it can be to make healthy and delicious meals using locally grown vegetables.
Watching Sir Vanjo in action was truly inspiring. His passion for cooking and his ability to transform simple ingredients into mouthwatering dishes left a lasting impression on us. The event motivated me to commit to cooking healthier meals for my family, using fresh ingredients and the techniques we learned.
The experience gave me a newfound inspiration to create healthy meals for my family. Seeing Sammy’s delight over the veggies and witnessing Chef Merano’s culinary demonstration emphasized the need to integrate fresh, locally grown produce into our everyday meals.
The positive reception from all the participants underscored the success of the initiative. The event provided an enjoyable and informative experience, encouraging attendees to explore the possibilities of urban agriculture and sustainable food sources.
