The story of an Asian female chef paving the way

CHEF Bettina’s culinary journey did not begin like any other aspiring chef’s. As a young girl, she was an avid home cook and even dabbled in it entrepreneurially from time to time. However, pursuing this passion cost a bit more than many other college degrees in Manila at the time.

“I didn’t actively pursue a formal education in culinary arts because my parents could never afford it. At that time, culinary schools were uncommon in the Philippines and one had to go abroad to pursue it. It was just something that seemed out of reach for me,” shares Chef Bettina Arguelles, executive chef of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

Graduating with a Communication Arts degree from the Ateneo de Manila University, Chef Bettina worked in advertising before finally making the decision to officially return to her first love, culinary arts. “When my kids were already in school and we relocated to Singapore, the moon and stars aligned. I found my opportunity to take up the culinary world with its very robust F&B landscape,” she excitedly recalls.

In 2006, Chef Bettina received formal training from the At-Sunrice Global Chef Academy in Singapore and jump-started her culinary career by working at the n Bettina Arguelles, executive chef of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, with other chefs

Fullerton Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa, Privé restaurant under Michelin-starred Chef Wayne Nish, and db Bistro Moderne by world-renowned Chef Daniel Boulud in New York and Marina Bay Sands. The only Filipino expat in the hotel, she was part of the team that opened Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s newlyrenovated Spiral in 2013. In 2016, she moved back to Singapore and worked as Chef de Cuisine at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa.

In 2019, Chef Bettina was recognised by the internationally-acclaimed World Gourmet Awards as Chef of the Year — a remarkable milestone as a Filipina chef and a testament to the sheer talent of Filipinos on the international stage.

In 2020, Chef Bettina made her comeback at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila as its new executive chef — the first-ever Filipina executive chef in a five-star international branded hotel.