BACOLOD CITY, July 13 -- A 64-year-old cook from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental is serving the famous "pinakbet" mixed vegetable dish with a twist at the Walang Gutom Kusinero: Cook-Off Challenge national finals this coming July 17.

Teresita Villegas, with her niece Connie Magbanua, 51, as her assistant, was chosen to represent Negros Island Region after the "Pinakbet Mais-aya sa Cadiz" won the regional competition in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental on July 2.

The Kusinero Cook-Off Challenge is a culinary competition under the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, advocating for social behavioral change by promoting nutritious, affordable, and delicious meals.

The northern Negros city's version ...