Featured LPU Davao Employee of the Month: Chef Grace Martinez
“Do what is right and you’ll never go wrong.” – Chef Grace O. Martinez
Chef Grace O. Martinez was born and raised in Davao City. She is the youngest of the five siblings. A proud daughter of a retired police colonel and one of the best police officers during his time, awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Policemen in the Philippines, and a proud daughter of her mother, who has been a volunteer catechist teacher for almost 30 years in Assumption Parish and was assigned to DCNHS (Davao City National High School). It was through her mother that they came to know God and made their faith stronger. Her mother is also a housewife and a businesswoman.
Chef Grace took up AB Political Science in ADDU after high school because she thought that she wanted to become a lawyer. However, ever since she was a young girl, she has always been interested in cooking, baking, table arrangement, and entertaining guests or anything related to culinary and hospitality. In the year 2000, Chef Grace left Davao and went to Manila for a corporate opportunity that opened doors to other different chances.
In 2007, after being married, she decided to take up the Culinary Arts and work in different hotels and restaurants. Then, in 2009, she was hired by LPU Laguna as one of the pioneering chef instructors to handle a newly opened program in Culinary Arts. She was promoted to Lead Faculty in the Culinary Arts program after only 6 months as a Chef Instructor. That is when she wanted to further expand her knowledge of hospitality, and so she took up a BS HRM major in Culinary Arts Kitchen Operation.
In 2015, she had the opportunity to be an exchange professor at Gimcheon University in South Korea and work there for a year. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and as per Chef Grace, “I must say, a dream to most chef instructors.” After summer break in South Korea in June 2015, she went back to the Philippines for a vacation where she had the chance to speak with LPU President Dr. Peter P. Laurel about the possibility of being assigned to Davao as soon as LPU Davao opens. In 2018, she started to be a consultant for LPU Davao. Chef Grace shared, “In 2019, I moved back to Davao after the passing of my late husband and accepted the role as Director of Culinary Arts in the newly opened department, which is the International Culinary Institute (ICI). I will always dedicate my culinary journey and achievements to my late husband, Reynaldo G. Martinez, who encouraged me to enroll in culinary school despite being in my late 20’s at the time. And he was always my number one fan and was always so proud of all my achievements. That is why I loved achievements because I knew I made him happy with every achievement that I made. “
“In my almost 20 years of culinary journey, I have never stopped learning and participating in culinary competitions and upgrading my learning and experience through studying different authentic cuisines in different countries like China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and more. I have joined and coached different national and international competitions and won. I have been a pioneering member of the American Culinary Federation Asia Chapter.”
Chef Grace is currently taking up Masters in International Hospitality Management (MIHM) at LPU Batangas. She is a graduate of BS Hotel and Restaurant Management and specialized in Culinary Arts Kitchen Operations. She also graduated with a Grand Diploma in Culinary and Baking Productions at Global Culinary Academy in Alabang, Metro Manila. Chef Grace is a Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP). A Certified FB-RM follows Food and Beverage Safety and Hygiene Policies and Procedures at the Guilford Training Centre. Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification, PTE. LTD. And a Certified FB-RM follows Food and Beverage Interactions with Guests at the Guilford Training Centre. Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification, PTE. LTD.
When asked about her disposition in life right now, Chef Grace answered, “I am happy with what I am doing right now because it has always been my passion to work in the field of culinary to deliver sumptuous food, invent new menus, innovate new products, and most of all, share and develop the skills of our aspirant chefs.” “But I am not yet satisfied since I still have a lot of plans for my department and my students. My goal as a director is to make the ICI vision a reality, which is to be the leading culinary school in Mindanao in 2024. As for being a part of LPU Davao, I am very happy and contented with all the support that they have extended to my department. I am proud to be a part of this institution, and I am truly grateful for all the opportunities that I have.”
“My message to my students during the current situation that we are in is to pursue your dream and don’t let anything stop you from achieving it. Do not lose hope just because we are in a pandemic, but try to be more creative instead, especially with the plenty of time that we all have. Remember that this is just temporary. Try to envision your future as someone who works in the culinary field and let that be your motivation to work harder than before. Be very inspired by your teachers, your own heroes, and your ambitions in life. Most of all, do not forget to ask the Almighty to be your guide in all your decisions in life and let Him be your constant company on this journey.“
Chef Grace’s motto in life is “Do what is right and you’ll never go wrong.” This motto always reminds me to choose the right thing first, especially in every decision that I make both in my personal life and in my career. I must consciously think of what is right over what is convenient for me, because I truly believe that if I choose the right thing, then everything will follow suit and be right and good. As someone who holds this position, it is my job to be a role model to my subordinates, staff, and students on a day-to-day basis. If I can impart this belief early on to my students, I know that I have done my job as a teacher and as the head of my department.”