The Southville Fusion 2023
The Southville Fusion 2023: International Culinary and Tourism Expo is a joint project between Southville Global Education Network (SGEN) schools to showcase the prowess of our Culinary, Hospitality, and Tourism programmes. This event was in partnership with Alabang Town Center and sponsored by Clearsource, Placement International, Turista, Seda Lio, Bellevue, B Hotel, Carbonelle Life Insurance, and Blu Serenity.
Our Communications Director, Mr. Daniel Steel, kicked off the event as the host by giving the programme overview and announcing the sponsored prizes to be won. He then called on Dr. Nancy De Guia, Dean of Southville’s Institute of Tourism & SISFU’s Dean of Academics, to welcome the guests and to share a brief background about the focus industries. She encouraged students in attendance by letting them know that opportunities are truly endless in these sectors.
For the next part of the event, Faculty Pastry Chef Rina Sarreal and Chef Nikki Banzon, our Programme Head for the Culinary Institute at Southville International School Affiliated with Foreign Universities (SISFU), prepared a cooking demonstration to display their decades of experience in the field. They prepared Choux Au Craquelin laced with tips and suggestions not just about baking, but also about the industry as a whole.
They stressed the importance of enrolling in actual institutional programmes to learn from industry experts. While self-learning is a great additional approach, there is much to be said about being guided by those who have professionally immersed themselves in their craft. More than just theories and methodology, they can impart unique troubleshooting techniques and personal learning curves.
In the second portion of the cooking demonstration, SISFU’s Culinary Alumni Kristoffer Rome Estefani, who is currently doing his apprenticeship in Japanese cuisine, prepared different kinds of sushi and inari while sharing his knowledge with the budding chefs in the audience. The attendees thoroughly enjoyed tasting his creations.
After raffling off prizes from our sponsors, SISFU, Southville International School and Colleges (SISC), and South Mansfield College (SMC) students showcased SGEN uniforms to unveil a glimpse of their campus life. Donning more than just their usual school attire, they also walked the runway in industry ensembles as a way to envision their future career paths.
To further illustrate the vibrant school life Southville has to offer, SISC’s association of talented singers, Vocalis, performed their solemn rendition of “Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka”. Their harmonious voices which were blended using artistic intention stopped mall-goers in their tracks. As a perfect juxtaposition, this mellow performance was soon followed by Southville Institute of Tourism’s high-spirited Inflight Safety Demonstration.
Strengthening the purpose of the event programme, Southville invited different speakers from the hospitality, culinary, and tourism industries to share their experiences and engage in discourse to benefit the aspiring students in the audience.
Mr. Benjamin Martinez – a veteran hotelier with a career in operations, sales, and marketing of numerous well-known international and local chains – discussed the benefits and opportunities of working in the hospitality and tourism industries. He specified ten unique points that highlighted diversity, flexibility, travel opportunities, salary, impact, and legacy. On the other hand, Ms. Kay Inna Vidal, a chef and entrepreneur, gave her insights into the ins and outs of working and flourishing in the culinary world.
Later joined by Dr. Ardee Donato and Dr. Vic Manabat on stage, the four industry experts sat down to weigh on pressing topics in the focus fields. Aside from tackling the transformation of the industries in the last few years, they did not shy away from expressing their opinions regarding digitalization, the impact of the pandemic, and the growing importance of globalisation.
To hype up the crowd, SISFU’s very own cradle performed a number of dances to a mash-up of pop songs that was soon followed by Sofia Calderon’s belted-out version of “Before He Cheats”. The audience remained in awe when Jem Cristobal and Bianca Jonaldo sang “Shallows”, a passionate duet colored by high notes. This very meaningful expo concluded with a student testimonial from Patricia Faith Buck, who is gearing up for her internship in one of the most prominent hotels in the country. She proudly referred to SISFU’s Hospitality Management Programme as her greatest instrument in becoming globally competitive.
SISFU aims to continue to open opportunities to students for international education through more interactive events like this in the future!
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Written by: Victoria Clarabel Amante