20 February 2026
The School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) signed a memorandum of agreement with the Food Safety and Hygiene Academy of the Philippines (FoodSHAP) on February 10, 2026, at Café Romançon in Hotel Benilde Maison de La Salle. Through this agreement, FoodSHAP officially becomes a partner course provider for SHRIM, delivering its food safety and hygiene certification programs within Benilde’s curriculum. The partnership brings FoodSHAP’s training and certification programs into Benilde, giving students and faculty access to recognized food safety qualifications.
Dean Marie Paz Castro opened the ceremony with a message of gratitude, welcoming the guests and setting the tone for the signing. “The signing of this memorandum of agreement signals our dedication in raising the awareness on food safety for all food handlers and in the development of world-class, unique, and proud Philippine-made qualification programs that we can all be proud of,” she said.
The Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts Management program stands to benefit most from this collaboration. Students in the program are trained in nutrition-based culinary skills, science-based techniques, and food preparation quality. With FoodSHAP certification now part of their pathway, graduates will leave with both a degree and a globally recognized credential in food safety. This combination supports their learning outcomes, from mastering culinary operations to advocating Filipino food heritage, while also boosting employability in the food and beverage industry.
FoodSHAP CEO Dr. Wessam Atif spoke about the role of students in shaping the future of the industry. “We want to celebrate what our heroes and our champions are doing… these are the food handlers, the students who are about to become the new face and future of the hospitality industry, which all starts at school, and nothing better or higher, of course, than the esteemed Benilde School here in the Philippines,” he shared. He added that the agreement is a step toward bigger plans, including new microcredential programs with CHED and Benilde.
“All the schools and all the programs in the College have a mandate to integrate micro-credentials into their curriculum… and of course, the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management is a forerunner in terms of integrating micro-credentials into its curriculum,” said Vice Chancellor for Academics Angelo Lacson. He explained that this agreement with FoodSHAP fits into Benilde’s larger push to give students portable credentials alongside their degrees. For Culinary Arts Management students, that means graduating not only with strong culinary and management skills but also with a recognized food safety certification that employers value. Lacson added that the signing revives a partnership that began before the pandemic and now moves forward with a clearer focus on employability and industry readiness.
This agreement also connects to Benilde’s recent launch of microcredentialing initiatives in SHRIM. Alongside Culinary Arts Management, programs such as Hospitality and Luxury Management, International Hospitality Management, and Tourism Management are also integrating microcredentials into their curriculum. Together, these efforts show how the College is building a credentialing ecosystem that equips students with portable qualifications alongside their degrees. It follows other partnerships such as Benilde’s collaboration with Topflite Academy, which opened aviation pathways in tourism education. These initiatives highlight how the College is working across industries to give students recognized credentials and practical opportunities.
Present during the signing were FoodSHAP Managing Director Elsie Gatpayat and Program Coordinator KC Adano, who joined Dr. Wessam Atif in representing the academy. On behalf of Benilde, the agreement was signed by Vice Chancellor for Academics Angelo Lacson and Dean Marie Paz Castro.
For more information on Benilde’s undergraduate programs, contact us at (63) 2 8230 5100 local 1801 or admissions@benilde.edu.ph. You may also visit our website at www.benilde.edu.ph.
