Greetings from LTB Philippines Chefs Association!
The Michael Strautmanis Grant provides financial assistance to aspiring young chefs facing economic challenges. Named in honor of Chef Michael Strautmanis, a dedicated supporter of the Philippine Culinary Cup since its founding, and a mentor to chefs at every stage of their careers, this grant seeks to inspire young culinary talent to pursue excellence and embrace the competitive spirit of the profession.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants to the Michael Strautmanis Culinary Arts Scholarship Program must meet all of the following criteria:
- Must be entering an accredited two-year or four-year institution as juniors and majoring in a full-time Culinary Arts or Food Sciences* program for the 2026-2027 academic year. Students will receive the total maximum scholarship award of ₱100,000.
- Be a Filipino citizen, of good moral character.
- Filipino citizens must provide a copy of their birth certificate. No history of major offense.
- Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or 80% and above, or its equivalent. Candidates must be obtaining their first undergraduate degree.
- Must be willing to complete 30 hours per month of volunteer service; this activity to be tracked by LTB and PYCC.
Selection of Recipients
Including, but not limited to: Culinary Arts, Baking and Pastry Arts, Food Science, Nutritional Sciences, Hospitality Management, Nutrition and Dietetics, etc.
Scholarship Grant recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Academic performance
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience, if any
- A statement of educational and career goals and objectives
- Unusual personal or family circumstances
- Combined gross annual income of the family is below 300,000 pesos
- A recommendation form or character reference. The applicant should provide 3 and must not be a relative of the applicant.
Recipients must be active members or students of the Philippine Young Chefs Club and able to continue their culinary education following the award.
LTB Philippines Board of Directors and Philippine Young Chefs Club Advisors will conduct their final selection process in strict confidence and their decision is final. No further justification or explanations will be given for the selections made.
If selected as a recipient, the student will receive a ₱100,000.00 award. The grant covers only tuition and school fees.
Awards are for undergraduate study only.
SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS
As part of your application, you must upload the following documents:
- Duly accomplished online application form
- Transcript
- A copy transcript of records from a Tech Voc School or University/College. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
- Student name
- School name
- Grades and GPA
- Proof of Citizenship
- Filipino citizens must provide a copy of their birth certificate or Philippine passport, certificate of citizenship or naturalization certificate.
- Your application is not considered complete unless all required materials are included. Original documents must be presented.
- Financial Documents
- A copy of the first two pages of your parent’s most recently filed ITR Form
- Other financial documents that will verify your income, such as, but not limited to, copy of 3-months payslip, certificate of employment with indicated salary, OR
- A written explanation of your financial situation if none of the items above apply to you.
- Other
- Also, as part of your application, you will be required to include the following:
- Video Essay (peg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZndWCq6Gs)
- Character Reference from any of the following:
- Teacher
- Guidance Counselor
- School Official
- Absolutely no relatives
- Recommendation Letter from the School or Professor
- Certificate of Good Moral Character from the school
Applications for the financial grant must be submitted no later than March 6, 2026.
A total of 15 applicants will be selected to participate in the next phase of the grant process.
Selected applicants are required to compete in the Philippine Culinary Cup 2026 (PCC2026) under a designated special PYCC category.
The PYCC member who achieves the highest score in the special category will be awarded the financial grant.
This financial grant is exclusively designated to cover tuition fees and is strictly a tuition-only grant.
The grant is a restricted fund provided by the donor, Michael Straumanis, with the explicit purpose of directly reducing the recipient’s cost of education.
The grant funds must be applied solely toward tuition expenses and cannot be used for any other fees, materials, or personal expenses.
Recipients must provide proof of tuition fee payment or enrollment to receive disbursement of the grant.
Failure to comply with the competition participation or proper use of funds will result in forfeiture of the grant.
The grant is non-transferable and cannot be deferred or applied to any other academic period without prior written approval from the donor or grant administrator.
The financial grant is subject to the following additional terms and conditions:
Once awarded, the PYCC member must actively participate in at least 80% of the club’s scheduled activities throughout the grant period.
The grant recipient is required to assist in organizing and supporting club events as reasonably requested by the Philippine Young Chefs Advisors and Officers.
Failure to meet the minimum participation requirement or to assist in club events may result in revocation of the grant and repayment obligations.
The recipient must maintain good standing within the PYCC and comply with all club rules and regulations during the grant tenure.
The grant recipient agrees to provide periodic updates or reports on their participation and contributions to the club activities as requested by the grant administrator.
These conditions ensure active engagement and contribution to the PYCC community as part of the grant agreement.
Grounds for Termination of Scholarship Grant
- Failure to maintain the required academic performance. GPA MUST NOT FALL BELOW 80%
- Withdrawal, suspension or dismissal from the educational institution
- Providing false or misleading information during the application process
Non-compliance with scholarship terms and conditions (E.G., PARTICIPATION IN REQUIRED PYCC ACTIVITIES AND REPORTING)
- Conviction by a Philippine court for any crime/offense committed.