Lyceum of the Philippines University Laguna is celebrating a major culinary win as two of its chefs took home some of the most coveted honors at this year’s Philippine Culinary Cup (PCC) with chef John Carlo Palacol taking home Best Chef of the Year, and chef Jeriel Encarnado earning the title of Best Pastry Chef of the Year.
For both chefs, however, the awards are more than just trophies. They represent years of hard work, creativity, discipline, and a passion for sharing their craft with the next generation of chefs at LPU Laguna.
The Culinary Journeys of John Carlo Palacol and Jeriel Encarnado
For chef John Carlo, cooking has always been a part of his life ever since childhood. Growing up around a family business connected to food and restaurants, he was exposed to the industry early. Later on, he would gain even more experience through a bevy of hotel internships and professional environments before eventually deciding to build his own culinary career.
After about a decade in the industry and nearly 15 years of competing, Palacol found himself drawn to another path—teaching. Somewhere along the way, he discovered that sharing his knowledge and helping students grow was just as satisfying as whipping up something delicious in the kitchen. Today, he serves as the Associate Director at LPU Laguna, bringing his industry and competition experience to the classroom.
Perhaps that’s also why competition has come to mean something different to him over the years. What once may have been about winning has become more about growth and pushing himself to do better.
“It’s not about being number one, number two, or number three. You’re competing with yourself and trying to be the best version of yourself,” he shared.
Although equipped with a totally different background, that same mentality is also apparent in pastry chef Jeriel Encarnado.
Before becoming a chef, Encarnado had a taste for the fine arts. And although he had an interest in various forms of visual expression like drawing and painting, his mother enrolled him in culinary arts. As a creative, however, it didn’t take long for him to discover the artistic possibilities of the kitchen—eventually turning what was once a second option into a passion.
“I’m more of a visual artist who turned into a chef,” he said.
He began competing in 2019 and has since represented LPU and the Philippines in competitions both locally and abroad, including events in Singapore and France. His background in the arts continues to influence the way he approaches pastry, where chocolate, sugar, cake, and other ingredients become materials for creating something that’s not only delicious but also visually striking.
How LPU Laguna Chefs Prepared for the Philippine Culinary Cup
Of course, neither of their titles were easy. Behind the awards are countless months of preparation, practice runs, and a team of students and fellow chefs working to support them.
Palacol entered eight categories at the PCC, each requiring different ingredients, techniques, and styles of cooking. Preparing for them meant more than simply searing recipes into his mind. He completed more than 70 practice runs, sometimes in quick succession of each other just so he could get used to the heat, pressure, timing, and pace of live competition.
Encarnado spent around five months preparing for five pastry categories, working with chocolate, isomalt sugar, and wedding cakes to name a few. Each medium came with its own set of challenges, requiring patience and precision while he balanced training with his responsibilities as a culinary instructor.
Among his entries was a sugar showpiece made entirely from isomalt. Inspired by his childhood and his love for art, the piece brought together two sides of his identity—the artist he once dreamed of becoming and the pastry chef he is today. For Encarnado, that creative process is ultimately more important than the medal itself.
“It’s never really about the medal right now. It’s about the craft,” he emphasized.
More Than Medals: LPU Laguna Chefs Compete for Their Students
While the spotlight may be on chefs John Carlo and Jeriel, both of them are quick to recognize the people who helped them get there. Their students played an important role throughout the competition, assisting with preparation, practice, logistics, and the many details that happen behind the scenes.
More importantly, the chefs see competitions as an extension of their work as educators. Every practice session and every contest gives their students a chance to see what happens beyond the classroom—to experience the discipline, pressure, teamwork, and creativity that come with working in one of the world’s most cutthroat industries.
“The reason why we compete is for the students to learn from us,” Palacol shared.
And that may be the most meaningful part of their PCC victory—because the titles of Best Chef and Best Pastry Chef not only celebrate what these two chefs have accomplished, but what they continue to pass on to their students moving forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chef John Carlo Palacol and Chef Jeriel Encarnado of Lyceum of the Philippines University Laguna won top honors at the Philippine Culinary Cup. Palacol was named Best Chef of the Year, while Encarnado was named Best Pastry Chef of the Year.
John Carlo Palacol won Best Chef of the Year, while Jeriel Encarnado earned Best Pastry Chef of the Year at the Philippine Culinary Cup.
Chef John Carlo Palacol is a chef and educator who serves as Associate Director at LPU Laguna. He has spent about a decade in the culinary industry and nearly 15 years competing in culinary competitions.
Chef Jeriel Encarnado is a pastry chef and culinary instructor at LPU Laguna. With a background in drawing and painting, he brings his artistic sensibility into pastry and has represented LPU and the Philippines in culinary competitions locally and abroad.
The Philippine Culinary Cup is a major culinary competition in the Philippines that brings together chefs and culinary professionals to compete across various cooking and pastry categories.
