Chit Juan talks with Chef Jam Melchor about the vital role of the Slow Food Youth Network in preserving Filipino culinary heritage. Chef Jam shares how he started the network in the Philippines, his efforts to engage young people through partnerships with schools, and his participation in global food sustainability events. The conversation also explores the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement and its influence on national policies like Proclamation 469.

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Jam Melchor is the founder of the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement, a non-profit movement dedicated to the preservation of the Philippine culinary heritage and gastronomy. He also started the Slow Food Youth Network Philippines which is part of the global Slow Food International, an organization that promotes sustainable change in food system towards good, clean, and fair food.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• The origins of Slow Food Youth Network in the Philippines
• Collaborating with schools to boost youth involvement in slow food initiatives
• Chef Jam's global participation in food sustainability events
• An introduction to the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement and Chef Jam’s motivation behind it
• The role of the movement in the creation of Proclamation 469 - Filipino Food Month
• Chef Jam's efforts to reinforce Pampanga's status as the culinary capital of the Philippines

QUOTES:

• There are a lot of available roles whenever we conduct World Disco Soup Day, from the organizing committee to the implementing committee. There are so many roles that they can be a part of. - Chef Jam
• I saw your picture on the wall and I said, wow, among all these great chefs of the world, here you are a young Filipino chef and you're in the walls of the University of Gastronomic Sciences. - Chit Juan
• I'm doing a lot of local promotions more than the international, but if by chance, of course, I'm all out, but definitely kailangan mas malakas yung promotions within the country. - Chef Jam
• Whenever you come up or do something, make sure merong gravity at merong kang mai-impact. Whether it's a person or a group or a sector or just a brand guy, doesn't really matter. - Chef Jam
• There are mentors, but there are also good mentees. This is not to be like a mutual admiration society, but you know, Chef Jam, the reason why I want you to share these experiences is that it doesn't take “age”. It doesn't take masters in this and that, but it takes just that curiosity that I think you have, plus the love of country. - Chit Juan

LINKS:

• Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement
• Slow Food Youth Network Philippines
• Chef Jam on Instagram

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Chit Juan sits down with Dr. Jabez Flores to explore the transformative world of permaculture. Dr. Flores shares the story of what sparked his passion for permaculture and provides insights into its core principles, highlighting how it stands apart from natural, organic, and regenerative farming. The conversation also touches on his views on hydroponics, and how his expertise in mapping and drone operations supports his advocacy.

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Dr. Jabez Flores is an environmental scientist specializing in landscape ecology and agroecology. His interests lie in projects involving earth observation and drone mapping for scientific research in biodiversity, environment, agriculture, and climate change. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Philippines Open University.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Dr. Jabez’s journey into permaculture
• Understanding permaculture principles
• Promoting permaculture to the public
• Dr. Jabez’s take on hydroponics
• Comparing permaculture with natural, organic, and regenerative farming
• Using mapping and drones in permaculture advocacy
• Dr. Jabez's journey from coffee enthusiast to agricultural entrepreneur

QUOTES:

• Permaculture is founded on three ethics, so it's Care for the earth, care for people, and fair share. So, basically every detail of your design is anchored on those three ethics. - Dr. Flores
• The quality of the food that we're growing is a reflection of the environment that we are in. So, once we are able to make that clear connection between what we eat and our environment, it will make people care more. - Dr. Flores
• Patterns on the landscape reveal patterns of human behavior. - Dr. Flores
• I think it's a natural trajectory for scientists to eventually become entrepreneurs because we invent things, we develop things, then eventually turn it into a business. - Dr. Flores

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Check out Dr. Flores’ website to find all his social media and other links.
• Permaculture Research Philippines

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Chit Juan hosts an interesting conversation with Emil Climaco, who reveals his journey into the world of Stingless Beekeeping. Learn about the differences between Stingless Bees and European Bees, and discover the various types of bees found in the Philippines. Emil also discusses the valuable by-products of beekeeping beyond honey, offering tips and strategies for successful beekeeping. Explore the essential role of pollination in farming and get expert advice on how to select the best wild honey. Perfect for aspiring beekeepers and honey enthusiasts alike, this episode provides a deep dive into the world of bees and their vital contributions to agriculture.

GUEST BIO:

Emil Climaco is the proud owner of CHEFerd's farm, the first in the CALABARZON and the first in the Philippines to be a PGS organically certified stingless bee farm. CHEF stands for the four principles of Organic Agriculture (Care, Health, Ecology and Fairness). Emil focuses on organic soil amendments and bees and has been a beekeeper since 2016. He is currently the President of SIPAG Pagsanjan (Samahan ng Industriya ng Pag-gugulayan), Secretary of SIPAG Laguna, and also one of the Core members of SOIL (Samahan ng Organikong Idustriya ng Laguna).

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Emil Climaco’s journey into beekeeping
• Understanding Stingless Beekeeping
• Valuable by-products of beekeeping beyond honey
• Stingless Bees vs. European Bees: Key differences
• Bee species in the Philippines
• Successful beekeeping strategies
• Pollination’s role in farming
• Choosing the best wild honey

QUOTES:

• “The byproducts of these bees number one is honey pero sa totoo lang, ang economic value ng honey ay mababa lang sya. If you compare it to making value added products, for example, honey soap, then concoctions like propolis spray, propolis serum. So, there is honey, there is propolis, and there is pollen mainly dito sa stingless bees.” - Emil Climaco
• “Stingless Bee is very manageable siya and very minimal yung pag maintain.” - Emil Climaco
• “I encourage everyone to go into beekeeping kasi nagkakaroon ka ng advocacy na dapat mga kapit-bahay mo hindi mag-spray kasi ang survival ng bees mo ay dependent sa kapit-bahay.” - Emil Climaco
• “You have to be sustainable, both environmentally and economically. Environmentally, you have to care for our planet and also the people. And economically, of course, we need to earn from the things that we love to do for the environment.” - Emil Climaco

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Follow CHEFerd’s Farm on Facebook and Shopee.
• How to Test if Honey is Pure, Adulterated or Fake [video]

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

• Subscribe to the Good and Green Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
• Follow Chit Juan on Instagram and Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Subscribe to EchoNews on LinkedIn.