Chef Marilyn Baligod is from the northern part of the Philippines, called Pinukpuk, Kalinga, a very small town where civilization was very limited. Sharing the home with her parents and 6 brothers and sisters, Chef Baligod spent most of her time as a child watching her mom cook and bake. By the age of nine, Marilyn was cooking rice for the family over an open flame stove. At that time, she never thought that she would become a chef, instead her dream was to become a nurse and a lawyer which was her dad’s dream for her. However, none of that happened and instead she ended up attending Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Bangkok, Thailand where she studied culinary arts and trained to be a chef. 

A successful career followed allowing Chef Baligod to travel the world, opening various restaurants and teaching the art of Asian Cuisine to many. An advocate of life-long learning, Chef Baligod is currently pursuing her certification requirements to work on yachts and cruise ships while waiting for the next part of her culinary career journey.