Meet Jobellyn Barbasa, the Filipina Executive Chef at Manila Peninsula Hotel’s Escolta Restaurant.
The 30-year-old holds the highest position of Chef de Cuisine in the kitchen of the famous hotel restaurant.
Jobellyn Barbasa rose to the top position as Executive Chef after a special training program with a scholarship from YouthWorks PH.
SEE: Margarita Fores hailed Asia’s Best Female Chef
Barbasa underwent dual training for two years at the Punlaan School in San Juan City and the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel’s Paparazzi restaurant.
The Filipina chef went through the Dual Training Service or DTS, a technical and vocational education training that combines in-school and work-based training.
Barbasa says the dual training gave her a competitive advantage against other interns and co-workers.
“The (DTS) became my edge against other interns and eventually my co-workers, since I already knew what is really happening in the kitchen,” Jobellyn Barbasa said in a PhilippineNews Agency report.
The partnership between Punlaan School, one of the many partner schools and corporations of YouthWorks PH, and Shangri-La Hotel paved the way for Jobellyn Barbasa to be hired as a kitchen helper at Paparazzi right after her training in 2012.
In seen years, Jobellyn Barbasa managed to become the Executive Chef at Escolta restaurant.
Jobellyn says her path to the top post at the Manila Peninsula restaurant was a struggle. But she realized her education taught her enough to conquer her fears and insecurities. She then showed the world that she can master her craft in the kitchen.
“When I started (at Escolta), it was very hard because I have colleagues who are much older than me,” she said in Filipino to PNA. “I almost quit, but my education taught me that I can overcome this if I just show them that I can work.”
READ MORE: How Lisa Revilla became an Executive Chef for Jean George’s Vongerichten Singapore
One of the lessons Jobellyn remembers learning from the Punlaan School was to always be virtuous in approaching in your profession. She also finds various ways as well as asking for some ideas from her colleagues to improve and add her techniques to showcase her craft well.
Jobellyn Barbasa is a living proof of YouthWorks PH success stories that can inspire more youth to achieve what she had accomplished. Her words of wisdom: “to not lose hope even if they don’t have the means. Everything will be okay”.
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