Nicole Bornales

PART 1Mula Kusina Hanggang Langit by Sandra Aguinaldo 1. Sandra Aguinaldo's documentary “Mula kusina hanggang langit” is about the country's largest and busiest kitchen. 2. It's also a part of the Macro-Asia Corporation's services, which are housed within the wellknown Ninoy Aquino International Airport. 3. The kitchen is 6,500 square meters in size. And operates twenty-four hours, full time. 4. Way back 2015, The kitchen produced around twelve thousand (12,000) meals per day Or five million (5) for the whole year for fourteen (14) foreign airlines including several VIP lounges in the airport. 5. The meals that were served were various cuisines from Japanese, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Filipino and many more. They prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner, light meals or snacks. 6. Unlike any other kitchen where meals are prepared and served immediately, airplane meals necessitate a thorough process to ensure the highest level of food safety. 7. During the cooking process, raw components are exposed to a specific heat degree before being chilled for speedy cooling. Temperatures are rigorously controlled as the dishes are cooked in various parts of the kitchen. 8. Everything in the kitchen must be strictly measured based on the agreement between the airline and MacroAsia. In addition, there is an in-house laboratory that is regularly checking the food and cooking operations for safety. 9. The entire film also demonstrates proper kitchen etiquette that can be applied to future projects or even at home. It shows the use of wearing proper attire such as a mask, hairnet, gown for cooking, and lint roller for blocking foreign objects from entering the kitchen and contaminating the foods. 10. Because many of the clients are Muslim airlines, the kitchen divides halal and non-halal cuisine. They also managed to organize the kitchen so that it was clear where pork and other pork-based goods might be prepared. There, we can observe how the kitchen values and respects religious beliefs. 11. Because they only use the best bits of the vegetables, meats, and other things they use, there is a lot of waste in the kitchen. This exemplifies the kitchen's desire to provide clients with high-quality items. 12. Delays caused by airline caterers are unacceptably inconvenient. They value time highly and must work quickly due to the large amount of meals they must make. They also have a deadline to meet, as airplanes do not stay in one place for long. 13. There is a staff named CAROL. One of her responsibilities during the busiest day is to cut the vegetables into different shapes. And according to her, that is her duty every day and estimated she makes roughly around five hundred (500) pieces a day. She is a single mom to her three (3) children. Sometimes she does the sidelines of selling breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks in her small store. Currently, Carol acts as the line leader and mentors the new staff. She dreams of becoming a Chef someday. 14. Louie Hunsay, is another chef who runs the kitchen. He was not able to attend college and only finished high school. He came from Iloilo. After years of working in macro Asia, He has traveled to several countries to train, and also has a family now of his own to support with the help of the kitchen. According to him, he can't afford to buy a bicycle but today he has a motorcycle. And his children go to good schools while needs are being provided. 15. Chef RELI is one of the chefs who run the kitchen and ensure that everything is up to standard. He mastered the job for fifteen (15) years. 16. Everything is measured and weighted. For monitoring, color indicates a certain day. The kitchen makes sure that they are serving the best presentation and taste that they can offer. 17. The kitchen is divided into different sections of cold and hot. The hot section is one of the busiest areas of the kitchen. The stoves in the hot section are never empty of huge, simmering pots. There is also called a portioning section where food presentation is ensured. It is done in a room where the temperature is twelve (12) degrees. 18. The difference between food preparation for an airline and a hotel is clearly seen in the documentary. For an airline, the process involves cooking, blast chilling, chill, portioning and chill again. Unlike in hotels when one orders food, they just cook and then serve. 19. Behind the busiest kitchen is a team of committed chefs, cooks, laboratory technicians, and general staff who have demonstrated that Filipinos can run a world-class aircraft food service. PART II: MULA KUSINA HANGGANG LANGIT; A REFLECTION PIECE Despite the lack of information provided concerning the meal selection and preparation procedure of a catering service, most of us are unconcerned about where our complimentary food came from or how it got to us. Sandra Aguinaldo's documentary "Mula Kusina Hanggang Langit" is truly eye-opening for many of us. Good food isn’t prepared without hard labor. Despite the fact that "the kitchen" was quite busy, it was able to show us the honest truth about the difficulties of producing excellent cuisines for all of macro Asia's consumers and passengers coming and going around the world. It's no laughing matter that the country's largest and busiest kitchen is located within the wellknown Ninoy Aquino International Airport. I'm fascinated by how it addresses the need for meals by a large number of individuals in a fast-paced workplace. Surprisingly, the kitchen's recorded size of six thousand and five hundred (6,500) square meters covers all the magic that is required for a twenty-four-hour (24 HR) full-time operation. There's little doubt that no one can display fear or weakness in a kitchen like this, no matter how hectic and chaotic it becomes. But I believe the beauty of it is that everyone helps everyone. No one cooks by himself. A cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers, and it is very evident in the documentary because behind all of the activities in the kitchen is a team of dedicated chefs, cooks, laboratory technicians, and general staff who have proven that Filipinos can run a world-class aircraft food service. I was able to learn the importance of processes, operations, and kitchen etiquette with the help of the documentary. Working in a fast-paced atmosphere where food is the most important priority and concern, one will be able to move through the process time and again no matter who one is working with. Delays caused by airline caterers are unacceptably inconvenient. They value time highly and must work quickly due to the large amount of meals they must make. They also have a deadline to meet, as airplanes do not stay in one place for long. Having said that, I can feel how stressful such a kitchen room can be. And I cannot think of a moment wherein a person who works in that room was able to make time for her/himself to breathe, rest a little or check their own face or hair in front of a mirror after hustling for consecutive hours of work. The goal of Macro Asia is to provide high-quality meals and excellent service to customers and passengers while staying within food and labor costs so that the operation can make a profit and control the demand. This goal is being achieved by the macro-Asia since people of the company work with the cooperation and support of all of the staff. Another thing I've learnt is that when people work together efficiently, they always outperform individuals. When people work together to solve an issue or shortage, they can come up with more innovative and flexible solutions than if they worked alone. Excellent cuisine and service are always the result of a collaborative effort. The consumer may not enjoy the eating experience if the cuisine is not well prepared or if the service is inadequate. Every member of the team plays a part in ensuring that the consumer has a positive experience. Food is frequently utilized to maintain cultural identity. Food plays a vital role in religious culture in terms of demonstrating respect among communities, and many of these religions follow religious rules, therefore food is prepared in a variety of ways. One of the numerous ways people display their commitment to a specific religion is via rituals, sacrifices, prayer, and art. Religious beliefs have an impact on a person's value system, customs, and dietary habits, which might influence food choices. The degree to which a person is committed to their religion may influence whether or not they accept the faith's dietary rules. Because many of the clients are Muslim airlines, the kitchen divides halal and non-halal cuisine. They also managed to organize the kitchen so that it was clear where pork and other pork-based goods might be prepared. Macro-Asia is clearly aware of and respectful of various religions. They admire, respect, and acknowledge other cultures and traditions in addition to their own. "Mula kusina Hanggang Langit” made me realize that behind closed doors, these people are devoting so much of their time, energy, and effort to ensure that tourists/passengers receive the best possible service while maintaining public health safety. It showed that meals are prepared and served immediately, airplane meals necessitate a thorough process to ensure the highest level of food safety. During the cooking process, raw components are exposed to a specific heat degree before being chilled for speedy cooling. Temperatures are rigorously controlled as the dishes are cooked in various parts of the kitchen. In addition, there is an in-house laboratory that is regularly checking the food and cooking operations for safety. The entire film also demonstrates proper kitchen etiquette that can be applied to future projects or even at home. It shows the use of wearing proper attire such as a mask, hairnet, gown for cooking, and lint roller for blocking foreign objects from entering the kitchen and contaminating the foods. They only use the best bits of the vegetables, meats, and other things they use. The reason why there is a lot of waste in the kitchen. This exemplifies the kitchen's desire to provide clients with high-quality items. Indeed, their safety comes paramount, as does their high demand. I witnessed how each ingredient is assessed and prepared in a sterilized and clean setting, following a thorough procedure. Cooking, which I thought was simple, can be a little more complicated, as seen in the documentary. I've also learnt that, while food is intended to be consumed, it can also be a type of art that is displayed to consumers and appeals to them. The kitchen ensures that the most beautiful food presentation and proper flavor are served to the guests. Not only that, but I was also introduced to the backstories of some of the kitchen personnel. Carol, I believe, is a determined and kind person who is patiently waiting for her chance to become a chef. And it's inspiring to see how proud chef Hunsay is of himself and what he's accomplished and evolved into. These incredible folks who work behind the locked door of a kitchen deserve a great deal of appreciation.