A Letter of Appreciation

Dear Ma'am Doreen,

You really deserved that award, and your essay deserved to win that contest. I really believe that your essay has the characteristics a food essay should have. You described Negrense food in a way that the readers can also taste it. From the caramel-colored and chewy dulce gatas to the brown and sesame seed speckled Negrense iteration of tira-tira, the ways you describe the food really paints a vivid picture and allows us to taste the food through the words like the ingredients are dancing in my mouth. Instead of simply describing the food, that description could even entice even the pickiest of eaters. Somehow, the writing is like a reminder of our experiences as Filipinos and how we get to bond through food. By sharing the background and the history of Negros, you really struck a chord with our judges with your writing. You also shared the background and history of it and how proud they are of their heritage. Most importantly, by sharing and exploring the food of the Negrense, we are not just learning about the food exclusively, but also their culture, but also their culture because of how you wrote the essay, "Sa Banwa sang Dulce," so affectionately. In a way, I believe that your writing is a form of resistance from western hegemony imposed to us by our colonizers by representing the food of the natives by giving the Negrense exposure.

Much love and appreciation,

Group 4 hehe