His bachelor days were what taught President Marcos to come up with any dish using only the ingredients he can find in his home, he recalled in his vlog entitled “Chibog.”
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)
Asked about what dish he has mastered, the official answered it’s not just a particular dish, but that his “talent” lies on being able to whip up anything from whatever food and canned goods he can find.
“Ang talent ko sa pagluluto hindi sa isang klaseng cuisine. Ang talent ko sa pagluluto kaya kong gumawa ng pagkain kahit na anong laman ng refrigerator at saka anong mga delatang naiwan (My talent in cooking is not just one kind of cuisine. My talent in cooking is I can able to make something from whatever’s in the refrigerator and what canned goods are there),” he said.
The President owes this “talent” to being a long-time bachelor.
“Kasi nasanay akong napakatagal nag-iisa ako, bachelor ako na matagal. Pag bachelor, hindi ka masyadong nagsa-shopping, hindi mo na naiisip iyon. Pag-uwi mo galing sa eskwela o galing trabaho ano mayroon (Because I was used to being alone, I was a bachelor. If you’re a bachelor, you don’t shop that much, you won’t think about that. When you go home from school or work, whatever’s there),” he said.
Marcos married First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos when he was already 35 years old.
This, he shared, helped him come up with ways to make it easier for him to cook and clean up afterwards.
Another “talent” he discovered from his years of living alone was to use only one pan or pot to cook. This same pan or pot also serves as his plate.
“Iyong mga bachelor na matagal alam nila lahat ‘yan lalo na iyong matagal na tumira sa abroad na wala kang cook, wala kang katulong, di ba (The bachelors know this, especially those who lived abroad for a long time and have no cook or helper, right)?,” Marcos said.
“Matuto ka talaga diyan. Isa lang ang huhugasan mong kalan at isa lang ang huhugasan mong plato (You will really learn. You only need to wash one pot and one plate),” he added.
In his vlog, the President talked about elevating Filipino cuisines even as he took pride in it for gaining popularity in the global stage.