The Australian Embassy and the Australia Global Alumni in the Philippines celebrated Filipino Food Month with a series of events that highlight Filipino cuisine with a taste of Australia. To headline the celebration, the Australian Embassy has brought to Manila Filipino- Australian food and travel content creator, cookbook author and businesswoman Yasmin Newman, to share well-loved Filipino dishes using Australian ingredients from her cookbook Under the Coconut Skies: Feasts and Stories from the Philippines.

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu PSM says, “One of the things that Filipinos and Australians share is our love for food – we love bringing people together to enjoy great food and have great conversations. We are delighted to have Filipino-Australian Yasmin Newman here in the Philippines, to celebrate Philippine culinary heritage with the best Australian products – a culinary fusion of the best our two countries have to offer.”

While in Manila, Yasmin met different communities of Australia-educated Filipinos for the Philippine launch of Under the Coconut Skies, which will include book signings and cooking demonstrations of Filipino dishes using Australian ingredients.

Yasmin held a masterclass for the culinary students of the Joji Ilagan International School in Davao City. The school – which provides Australian certified education – was established by Australia-educated alumna Joji Ilagan Bian, who received the 2019 Outstanding Alumnus Award for bringing the Australian calibre of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to Mindanao.

As a proud ambassador of Filipino cuisine and Australian food products, Yasmin shares her love for food and her Australian and Filipino influences in a series of cooking videos called A Taste of the Philippines (Australia Philippines Business Council (APBC) - YouTube). The video series was produced by the Australia Philippines Business Council (APBC) in partnership with the Australian Government.

Under the Coconut Skies is Yasmin’s second Filipino cookbook. The book is a celebration of the Philippines and its food and takes her readers on a journey to discovering classic Filipino dishes through beautiful photos and unique culinary traditions, folklore, and personal stories. In 2013, she also wrote and published her debut cookbook 7000 Islands: A Food Portrait of the Philippines, which was re-launched in 2019.



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Watch Yasmin Newman and the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines’ interview on Headstart with Karen Davila at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh97BsFeA4g and Yasmin and the Australian Deputy Head of Mission on The Final Word with Rico Hizon on CNN at https://www.cnnphilippines.com/videos/2023/4/18/Boosting-PH-Australia-ties-through-food.html