Marco Macapayad
Batch 3 President
The Culinary Institute of Cagayan de Oro President -- Dr. Ma. Emilyn B. de Marcaida, Chairman of the Board of Trustees – Mr. Karlo de Marcaida, VP for Academic Affairs -- Dr. Alicia P. Colegado, VP for Admin and Finance – Mr. Alfred T. Limbaga. CIC School Administrator – Ms. Ma. Eden Baldelovar, Chef Instructors – Chef Ziggy Segunial and Chef Malou Caudal, the CIC Staff, fellow batch 3 students, the parents, spouses – our respective sponsors – “our wind beneath our wings”, and to all the guests for tonight’s event. Ladies and Gentlemen.
There is always a time in a person’s life that his dreams, like a candle, flickers in the wind, but with the help of a lighter or a match, a tiny flame relights the candle , making the flame in the candle to burn fiercer than ever before. For rekindling our dimming dreams, we pay tribute, in thankful acknowledgment to our lighters or matches-our sponsors who made alive again our dreams—towards using a toque today, and a full-fledged chef’s hat in 8 months tomorrow.
Each of us in our batch has his own story to tell about the beginnings of our common dream to become a Chef and how thankful we are to our respective sponsors for helping us realize this. In my case, I have always been a food lover. Growing up, I was not the type that parents would have problems with on what I would eat. I was not the kid that parents would chase and squeeze the cheeks just to swallow all the vegetables in the world or bribe with toys and other stuff. I have always viewed food not just as something that would fill my hunger but also something that I would reward myself with --- from all the stress at school and work or for simple little achievements. I remember that being the mature one among all of my 3 siblings, I was always the one who would help my mom and grandmother during caterings and special events. I grew up with them being in the food business which led me at the early age of 13 to put up my own business by selling iced tea and Ice cold Milo in big dispensers in my school. I remember waking up at 5 in the morning on a school day just to mix Milo and iced tea in a big orocan container using a giant wooden paddle, sanitized of course. In other words, my passion for food, for eating, for cooking began when I was a kid.
Years passed and people grow, I did. But my passion for food remained. I love eating out whenever there’s a newly opened eating place in my area which sometimes irks my mom that I spend too much on this kind of lifestyle. It’s just that I love to check out ALL types of cuisines and I’m not the type who is afraid to try anything and then do a little experiment at home. Though I am blessed with having a good education, I still longed for a formal education in the field of Culinary Arts but due to my busy work schedule and the fact that before, there was no Culinary School here in the City, my dream of pursuing one became dim not until one hot afternoon in May when we passed by Osmena St. near the Lim ket kai when my mom and I saw the CIC Tarp. Unfortunately, the contact numbers were covered with another Ad so we were not able to get the numbers but because of my mom’s persistence and the fact that she knew that I’ve always wanted to study Culinary Arts, she asked me to stop my car in front of the CIC tarp and then she went down the busy street and took out herself the paper that covered the contact numbers. A few days after, I proved again how determined my mother really was for she volunteered to climb the steep stairs of CIC only to find out that it was closed that day. And you guys know our stairs—it’s like climbing up a Super ferry, though it’s a good exercise we get every Monday. So thank you mom for making that effort! Though at the end of that day, she kept on complaining on how much her feet ached and demanded to get a foot massage from me.
Having said all of these I think that everything that happens in our life has a purpose. I'm not someone who believes in coincidences or accidents. I believe that everything happens for a reason and that everything that happens, no matter how you choose to perceive it, happens for your own good so that you might learn or discover something from it. In my case, that simple drive to ketkai when we passed by that tarp and my mom’s persistence have a reason and that is for me to be part of this school and pursue a dream i had years ago.
On behalf of my fellow dreamers – fellow students of batch 3 of the Culinary Institute of Cagayan de Oro, our heartfelt gratitude goes to:
First, to our parents, spouses and sponsors for being with us in every step of the way. For providing us with financial support. For the encouragement, inspiration and most of all for believing in us not just that we can do this but for believing in us that we will excel in this field. To my Mom, thank you for being the force behind this decision and by providing me not just with a good formal education for me to be able to support myself financially but also by raising me with your values that made me what I am now and what i’m striving to be.
Second, to the CIC Owners for putting up an insitution like this in Cagayan de Oro. Specially that this is the only Culinary School in the Philippines that incorporates holistic nutrition. My appreciation to you for being the brains behind this great endeavor. I have been wanting to have this kind of a Culinary school here in our city. I salute you!
Third, to our Chef Instructors and also to Us, Students of batch 3. There is a reason why we are all put together in this batch and that reason has yet to be discovered. But even so, I want to thank you for I know that it will be an honor to study and work with you in the kitchen. I believe that when you meet someone, be it a homeless person, a person at a party, or even an individual through the Internet, there is a reason for your meeting. There is something to be learned through the experience. The relationship could last a minute or a lifetime, but it has been offered to us as a gift to assist us on our journey toward becoming more caring human beings and in fulfilling our dreams as well.
Lastly, we give back the glory and praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for making every day a blessing. For arming us with strength and make our way perfect. For making our feet like the feet of a deer which enables us to stand on the heights. For training our hands for battle that our arms can bend a bow of bronze. For giving us His shield of victory, and his right hand; For stooping down to make us great and broadening the path beneath us, so that our ankles will not turn.
And as we give tribute in gratitude to the Parents, spouses, sponsors, CIC owners, our Chef instructors, my fellow batchmates and most specially to the Lord, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
A toqueful Thank you for everyone for listening to my talk. Good evening.
