Hailed a culinary prodigy, the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed chef Louise Mabulo was already a blip on the T.Dining radar in 2016

At the tender age of 12, Louise mabulo had already made quite the name for herself, becoming a Junior MasterChef® finalist in 2011, landing an impressive fifth place. Following that, as the youngest candidate, she won the Best Dessert Award at the Disciples des Escoffier Young Talent Trophy Asia, which took place in Hong Kong.

In 2015, Mabulo went home with the Bronze Medal for the Creative Breakfast Challenge at the Philippine Culinary Cup and is the youngest person to be awarded a National Certificate in Cookery by the Technical Education and Skills Development Administration (TESDA). She then went on to become a Philippine delegate to The Asian Student Leadership Conference.

Recently, the 20-year-old Mabulo has yet another feather to add to her toque blanche. Last week, she became a recipient of the Young Champions of the Earth Prize by The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for her initiative, entitled The Cacao Project, which focuses on the agricultural scene of Bicol while simultaneously looking out for the environment.

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Through her programme, over 200 farmers have been trained in agroforestry techniques, and more than 70,000 trees have been planted to date.

“To receive the Young Champions of the Earth Award is such a high honour,” shared an elated Mabulo. “It’s an unprecedented opportunity to empower our agricultural communities, serve creation, and bring the Philippines to the forefront of global discussions on environment. I could never have fathomed that my project would grow to gain such a prestigious award.”

Read More: Louise Mabulo: Culinary Prodigy

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Recognised as the winner for the Asia and the Pacific region, Mabulo and the six other winners bested over 1,000 applicants, all under the age of 30.

According to the young achiever, her winning has garnered the exposure that The Cacao Project needed and is paving the way for bigger and better things.

“The award will help bolster my efforts in proving that we can build sustainable livelihoods, empower communities, increase disaster resiliency, ensure food security, while protecting our existing environment. This award is a huge step in building my project to realise our goals, while being a physical example that young people like me can make a global difference, even through our local endeavours.”

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