NYMA talent and food content creator Abi Marquez, also known as the “Lumpia Queen,” recently received an Honorable Mention at the inaugural Doreen Gamboa Fernandez (DGF) Short Food Video Awards for her entry “Plantanillas”.
Abi’s entry “Plantanillas” focuses on a Kapampangan dessert called plantanillas, where egg yolks are simmered in sugar syrup to form a solid crepe-like base, then typically wrapped around latik, and folded into a shape that resembles a banana or plantain.
She documents the Carreon family’s recipe, which uses carabao milk pastillas in place of latik. Abi’s video ties together scarcity—the difficulty of securing one of the recipe’s key ingredients, carabao milk and the Carreon family being the only keeper of this heirloom recipe—with the richness, creaminess, and the sweetness of this underrated dessert, showing that even desserts and memories carry with them a tinge of melancholy.
The 22nd Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Awards and 1st DGF Short Food Video Awards were awarded last September 20, 2025 at Palm Grove in Rockwell Makati by the Food Writers Association of the Philippines (FWAP) and Rockwell Club.
The inaugural DGF Short Food Video Awards awards were judged by director Gio Puyat, food magazine editor and cookbook author Nina Daza Puyat, chef Myrna Segismundo, and Filipino food and travel content creator and FEATR Media founder Erwan Heussaff.
This recent honor is a testament to Abi’s passion for storytelling, relatable tone, and love for Filipino food and food culture. “I’m grateful for this honor. For food content creators like myself, Doreen Gamboa Fernandez’s life, work, and legacy has been an inspiration,” shared Abi. “I will continue to shine the light on different aspects of Filipino food culture and I look forward to telling more stories about our cuisine and our heritage.”
NYMA Chief Operating Officer Kat Bautista highlighted that a key approach to talent management moving forward would include encourage creators to deepen their engagement with their established niche or industry. “At NYMA, we encourage our talents to embrace lifelong learning and curiosity, and we encourage them to deepen their knowledge in their respective industries. Abi’s entry, Planatanillas, showcases a creator whose love for Filipino food and food culture is now evolving into education for her fellow Filipinos and preservation of our heritage.”
Filipino foodies interested in watching “Plantanillas” can now find it on Facebook, Instagram, or on TikTok.
