In the Hiligaynon digámo, we find a word that breathes life into the kitchen; it is not merely the act of cooking, but the thoughtful and intentional "setting in order" of our shared table.
Digámo is an invitation to reclaim our Filipino identity through the palate. From the ancestral hearth to the evolution of a New Archipelagic Cuisine, we view the Philippines not as a map, but
as a curated and ever-evolving heritage of flavor.
We don’t build alone. We build with hands; perfumers, sommelier, consultants, designers, each bringing their own discipline to the table.
Born in Mambusao, Capiz in 1995, Francis’ formative years were spent playing around the “dirty
kitchens,” where he served as an apprentice to his elders who fed the town’s grandest celebrations.
At the age of 17, his path took him to the high seas. As a seafarer, Francis navigated the globe,
transforming every shore leave—from the spice markets of Morocco to the cantinas of Mexico
and the hidden stalls of Asia—into a mental escape and a masterclass in global flavor.
However, a harrowing hostage crisis in 2015 brought his maritime career to a definitive end. In
the quiet aftermath of that survival, Francis returned to the one thing that felt like home: the kitchen.
What followed was a decade of disciplined evolution. Emerging as a self-taught scholar-chef,
Francis has become a decorated culinary competitor and a three-time recipient of the
prestigious Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award.
Born in Mambusao, Capiz in 1995, Francis’ formative years were spent playing around the “dirty kitchens,” where he served as an apprentice to his elders who fed the town’s grandest celebrations.
At the age of 17, his path took him to the high seas. As a seafarer, Francis navigated the globe, transforming every shore leave—from the spice markets of Morocco to the cantinas of Mexico and the hidden stalls of Asia—into a mental escape and a masterclass in global flavor. However, a harrowing hostage crisis in 2015 brought his maritime career to a definitive end. In the quiet aftermath of that survival, Francis returned to the one thing that felt like home: the kitchen.
What followed was a decade of disciplined evolution. Emerging as a self-taught scholar-chef, Francis has become a decorated culinary competitor and a three-time recipient of the prestigious Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award.
