Local cooks from various barangays in Las Piñas showcased their culinary skills and creativity in the 10th Urban Gardening and Cooking Competition organized by the Villar Foundation on August 29, 2025 at Pulang Lupa Uno.
The annual contest highlights Former Senator Cynthia Villar’s push for food sustainability and urban agriculture, encouraging residents to transform small spaces into productive gardens. Contestants are challenged to prepare dishes using ingredients grown from their own backyard plots or community gardens.
The competition aims not only to promote healthy and affordable meals but also to inspire households to recycle kitchen waste into compost and maximize the use of available land in densely populated areas.
Community members look forward to the event, which has become a gathering point for homegrown talent and innovation.
A total of 43 community gardens participated in the urban garden competition, including 9 from barangays, 19 from homeowners’ associations (HOAs), and 15 from schools. In addition, all 20 barangays of Las Piñas sent their representatives for cooking contest.
Winners of both competitions were honored with prizes ranging from ₱30,000 to ₱10,000 and a trophy, recognizing their creativity and dedication to sustainable living. Their winning dishes will also be showcased in the foundation’s urban gardening advocacy campaigns, giving them the opportunity to inspire more households and communities to embrace the benefits of homegrown produce.
Over the years, the Villar Foundation has championed livelihood, agriculture, and environmental initiatives not only in Las Piñas but across the country. These efforts-ranging from waste segregation and composting to the distribution of vegetable seeds and organic fertilizers, this reflect the foundation’s steadfast commitment to building sustainable communities and empowering Filipinos to cultivate a greener future.
