Demand for chefs expected to go up as tourism booms

Thursday 5th of July 2012

QUEZON CITY, JULY 5 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sees demand for professionals in the hotel and restaurant industry as the country intensifies its tourism campaign.

Based on the data from the Department of Tourism, 1,497,851 visitors came to the Philippines from January to April 2012, an increase of 14.61 percent over the previous year’s volume of 1,306,944 for the same period.

“If this current trend continues, the growth in the hotel and restaurant industry is expected to provide more employment opportunities to our workers,” DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in a statement.

In anticipation of this demand, the DOLE has included the occupational position of chef in the DOLE’s Career Guides as one of the featured careers under the hotels and restaurant industry.

According to the career guide, there are no specific educational requirements for chefs. However, most employers prefer to hire high school graduates who have completed a course on commercial food preparation.

A four-year degree in International Hospitality Management, with specialty in culinary arts, will give a chef distinct advantage when applying for a high-paying job, like an executive chef in a prestigious restaurant or hotel.

Besides a four-year degree, there are also culinary schools that offer short-term courses in culinary arts for one year and two month, a three-month training program for the certification of the fundamentals in culinary arts, a four-month training in commercial cooking, or a five-day culinary course.

The monthly salary for entry level chefs starts from P10,000 to P18,000, depending on the level of education they have achieved and may also vary according to the type of establishment they work in.

A chef is tasked to plan and direct food preparation and cooking activities: plan menus, ensure food meets quality standards; estimate food and labor cost; supervise activities of cooks and other kitchen staff; demonstrate new cooking technique; instruct cooks in preparation, cooking, garnishing of food displays; and plan the requisition of food and kitchen supplies.

“There are many employment and business opportunities for a chef, which includes authoring a cookbook, going into catering business for weddings, and business functions, among others. They can also work as consultants for restaurant owners who want to develop special menus,” Baldoz added.

The DOLE’s Career Guides can be accessed at the Bureau of Local Employment’s website: http://ble.dole.gov.ph/career.asp.(DOLE/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)