“Aiming high, doing your best and praying.” For a teenage girl, the saying gives the right ingredients to achieve one’s dream.
A grade six pupil of Maniki Central Elementary School (MCES) in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, 12-year-old Rosalie D. Madayag, has proven it right by topping the recently conducted 9th National STEP competition in the fruitshake-making category.
However, she was not alone in her success. Madayag said that the name of her recipe, Tropical Deli, was suggested by her coach, Pilar A. Abuda.
Her recipe, which was derived from the word delight, bested other contenders from various regions in the country in the Student Technologists and Entrepreneurs of the Philippines (STEP) competition in Baguio City which hosted the event from February 18 to 22.
STEP competition is an annual activity of the Department of Education (DepEd) that seeks to enhance lifelong skills as well as support the learning competencies of pupils and students. This serves as an avenue for showcasing students’ technical skills.
In the fruitshake-making, the delegates were adjudged based on the following criteria: taste, nutritive value, general appearance, speed, method of preparation, and communication.
Out of the six fruits given during the competition, only two to four were allowed to be used. Madayag chose pineapple as her recipe’s primary fruit ingredient along with banana, apple, and mango.
Her recipe’s combination of fruits indeed brought a delightful moment when she was announced the national winner.
She and her coach went upstage to receive the gold medal and the trophy, but due to excitement, they were not able to clearly hear when asked about the flavor of the winning fruit-shake recipe.
“Sa sobrang excitement, when the emcee asked her unsa ang flavor sa shake, our teacher answered, ‘First place! First place!,’ (For over excitement, when asked about the flavor of the shake, our teacher exclaimed First place! First place!),” Madayag recalled.
Aside from her coach, Madayag has also drew inspiration from her parents, Anthony Christopher and Jenny who are both working in a banana plantation. [IO Kapalong, Nonitte R. Orito/PIA-11, JMDA]
