USA Cheese Guild Empowers Future Filipino Chefs with Global Cheese Education

USA Cheese Guild Empowers Future Filipino Chefs with Global Cheese Education

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Bringing world-class cheese expertise to the Philippines

Cheese lovers, rejoice! The USA Cheese Guild has officially brought its USA Cheese Specialist™ Certification Program to the Philippines — marking another milestone in culinary education for aspiring Filipino chefs. Originally launched in Singapore, this globally recognized program continues its Southeast Asian expansion, equipping culinary students and professionals with expert-level knowledge about one of the world’s most beloved ingredients.

USA Cheese Specialist™ Certification Program at CCA Manila

The Center for Culinary Arts (CCA Manila) has partnered with the USA Cheese Guild to integrate a three-tiered certification program—Associate, Intermediate, and Advanced—into its second-year culinary curriculum. Through this, students gain in-depth insights into cheese families, proper storage and handling, and even artisanal cheesemaking.

More importantly, it empowers them to use cheese as a creative and functional ingredient, elevating Filipino classics with a global twist. Imagine your favorite baked spaghetti, kaldereta, or puto with just the right touch of rich, creamy U.S. cheese!

Investing in the future of Filipino culinary talent

According to Dali Ghazalay, Regional Director for Southeast Asia of the USA Cheese Guild, the partnership is more than just about teaching techniques—it’s about nurturing creative mindsets.

“By working directly with culinary students, we’re investing in the future of the food industry in the Philippines,” Ghazalay explained. “The USA Cheese Specialist™ certification isn’t just a credential — it’s a creative mindset that inspires chefs to treat cheese as a transformative ingredient.”

For Dr. Veritas Luna, Chancellor of CCA Manila, the collaboration supports the school’s mission to promote international standards and continuous faculty development.

“This milestone partnership with the USA Cheese Guild enhances our commitment to global culinary excellence and gives our students a competitive edge, both locally and abroad,” she shared.

Why USA Cheese stands out

Cheese from the USA blends traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation, using high-quality cow’s milk and sustainable farming practices. The U.S. is the world’s largest single-country producer and exporter of cheese, offering countless varieties that deliver superior flavor, performance, and quality — perfect for both home cooks and professional chefs.

Cheese education beyond the classroom

Even if you’re not enrolled in CCA, you can still explore the flavorful world of USA Cheese in your own kitchen!

Use cheese with purpose – Grated cheese melts beautifully in Filipino favorites like baked pasta and casseroles, while crumbled cheese adds texture to salads or roasted veggies. Try U.S. Monterey Jack for creaminess or U.S. Pepper Jack for a buttery, spicy twist.

Add nutrition, not just flavor – Cheese is rich in protein, calcium, and healthy fats, and aged varieties are naturally low in lactose.

Reimagine Filipino desserts – Top your puto with melted U.S. Monterey Jack or make creamy desserts using U.S. Cream Cheese. You can even serve a dessert cheeseboard with local fruits, nuts, and a cup of tsokolate for a unique treat.

Discover USA Cheese in the Philippines

Through partnerships with local importers and retailers, USA Cheese is becoming more accessible than ever in supermarkets and specialty stores across the country.

Follow @cheesefromtheusa.sea on Instagram and Facebook for delicious recipes, cheesy tips, and updates on upcoming workshops and events.

Experience the versatility and world-class quality of USA Cheese and bring a taste of global innovation right into your Filipino kitchen. 

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How P&G navigates the workplace landscape post-pandemic

How P&G navigates the workplace landscape post-pandemic

Friday, March 17, 2023

 

Despite workforce challenges that affect employee retention in Philippine companies, P&G Philippines continues to safeguard employee satisfaction

With the pandemic forcing Filipinos to reevaluate not just how they view work, but their entire lives, workplace dissatisfaction led to the “Great Resignation,” – an economic trend where employees, in numbers larger than usual, resigned from work since the start of the pandemic. Various reasons for the resignations include inadequate compensation, overall job dissatisfaction, the lack of opportunities, and return-to-office policies. 

According to Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines, the Great Place to Work®-certified multinational consumer goods company with a diverse range of superior health care, home care, beauty, and grooming products, employee satisfaction and retention are anchored on three factors: People Investment, Equality and Inclusion, and Purpose-Drive Workplace. 

“For P&G, people are our most important asset. We always strive to innovate and have industry-leading policies, programs, and practices to keep our people empowered and motivated,” says Vince Dizon, Country Human Resource Leader of P&G Philippines. 

People Investment

While pandemic restrictions have eased, its repercussions on the Philippine workforce have remained steady. In 2022, the Philippine employee resignation rate increased and part of this is due to a lack of growth opportunities within companies. According to GlassDoor.com, among the top ten reasons for resignations are unrealistic goals and expectations and lack of career path and progression. 

P&G meets this challenge head-on. As one of the country’s top employers, P&G is known to invest in its talent and leadership development highly. The company stands apart with its ‘grow from within’ culture, meaningful careers leading billion-dollar global brands, international exposure and assignments, and hands-on mentorship from P&G leaders across the globe.

Equality and Inclusion

During the onset of the pandemic, P&G reframed its employee value proposition (EVP), the framework from which the company anchors its people policies, to “P&G + Me = Mutual Success.” This new framework focused on gratifying and empowering employees by keeping them inspired, valuing and rewarding good work, and continuously making a positive impact on the business and communities P&G serves. 

It is from this framework that P&G Philippines developed its HR policies and programs that supported and allowed its employees to thrive and succeed amidst the changing workplace landscape. 

In 2020, P&G launched one of its biggest and most groundbreaking policies called “Share the Care” which entitles fathers to 8 weeks of parental leave vs. the mandatory 7 days of paternity leave in the local Philippines context. The policy applies to all employees, regardless of gender, marital status, and biological or adoptive status.

P&G also launched Vibrant Living, a holistic wellness program that aims to emphasize the importance of mental, socio-emotional, and physical health. At a time when people were working hybrid WFH setups, P&G was able to cater to their needs both virtually and physically through online medical seminars, webinars on mental health, virtual workouts, and even online music classes for P&G kids. 

As the workforce landscape keeps evolving, P&G continues to promote policies that foster and create inclusion and equal opportunities for all employees to thrive and succeed regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and background.

A Purpose-Driven Workplace

According to Talent Trends’ 2022 The Great X report, the Filipino workforce is shifting focus on finding quality workplaces that offer purposeful work. 

“P&G is committed to being a Force for Growth and a Force for Good in the communities where we live and work. Our employees share this commitment as we serve consumers with superior products and being available to them during times of greater need,” says Dizon.

P&G has been a consistent partner of various government agencies and non-government organizations like the Department of Health, Department of Education (DepEd), the Philippine Red Cross, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to name a few. Over the COVID-19 pandemic, P&G has stepped up as a Force for Good and a Force for Growth by donating over PHP 200 Million to help aid in the government’s COVID-19 pandemic response efforts. This includes re-purposing its manufacturing plant to produce and donate over 3 million medical-grade face masks to DOH and front liners hospitals, donating P&G health and hygiene products, and building health and hygiene infrastructures for DepEd schools, LGUs, government hospitals, public areas, and transport terminals.

Recently, P&G donated over Php 650,000.00 worth of P&G home and personal care products to the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) to aid communities in need during PCUP’s first-ever PWD and Senior Assembly during Urban Poor Solidarity Week. In collaboration with the Manila Water Foundation, the company also donated over Php 1.8 million in P&G Vicks' newest product, ZzzQuil melatonin gummies, to over 4,000 Business Process Outsourcing workers to promote health through proper rest.

P&G Philippines’ winning workplace culture was recently affirmed by earning its Great Place to Work® Certification™ with a 94% employee satisfaction rating. The company also won “Top Employer of the Year” at the 2022 Asia CEO Awards, was recognized as “2022 Best Companies to Work for in Asia” by HR Asia, and was hailed as the Champion for the Gender Inclusive Workplace category in the 2021 UNWEP Awards.

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