MANILA -- All food being served at the 1,000-square meter Athletes’ Village of the sprawling New Clark City (NCC) in Capas, Tarlac are strictly halal.
This gives Muslim delegates and other participants of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games a wide selection at the all-day buffet.
“All the food we are serving are halal. The ingredients are halal. Our whole kitchen is halal certified. Our workers, staff, volunteers and on-the-job trainees also went through halal training and socialization for the SEA Games before working in our kitchen,” said Judy Uson, founding member of Culinarya Pampanga, an association of some 30 restaurant owners in the province and is among the official caterers at the Athletes’ Village.
Unlike the minimal halal dishes reportedly served at a hotel as claimed by a foreign delegate, Uson said that is not the case at the Athletes’ Village.
When the Athletes’ Village dining hall opened last week, they catered to about 1,200 delegates daily and the number is expected to increase after the event’s opening.
“We expect about 5,000 people during the opening and closing ceremonies,” Uson said, adding that being chosen as one of the caterers is a great honor for her.
“It’s exciting and exhilarating at the same time. We understand the responsibility given to us, the biggest responsibility that VIPs are happy and athletes are fed well,” she said.
As members of Culinarya Pampanga, Uson said they are striving hard to make the country proud by providing delicious and varied meals to athletes.
In a press conference Friday, November 30, Philippine Southeast Asian Games (Phisgoc) chief operating officer Ramon “Tats” Suzara said they are doing their best to cater halal to the athletes.
“Although we are not a halal country, the Athletes’ Village and some hotels catering to the delegates are halal. We are really doing our best on this,” Suzara said during the official opening of the International Broadcast Center and Main Media Center at NCC Friday.
Meanwhile, former University of Mindanao (UM) prized trackster Sonny Wagdos, who will be competing in his first SEA Games at NCC, observed that the buffet selections do not include pork dishes and everybody could just eat or drink anything at the dining hall.
“Sobra pa sa buffet,” was all Wagdos replied when asked what he thinks of the food being served to them. He sent photos of him with his teammates during lunch on Thursday, November 28.
The 24-year-old native of Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur will vie for honors in the men’s 1,500-meter run on December 8 and 5,000-meter run on December 9.