About APCA
Instructors
Meet the founders and the resident chef instructors of the Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts Philippines — MOF and world-championship talent alongside the country’s leading competition chefs.
Founders
Jean-François Arnaud
Un des Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2000 · Master Pastry Chef
MOF Chef Jean-François Arnaud is an International consultant in Pastry & Bakery since 2006. He is based in Malaysia from where he travels all over Asia and Middle East to conduct training and workshops for professional pastry chefs.
He is MOF 2000, which means One of the Best Craftsmen of France in Pastry and Confectionery. He has been associated with the best pastry chefs and publications of the world like Thuriès Gastronomie Magazine, for whom he created monthly recipes for 10 years, and Bakery & Pastry Magazines Asia & North America.
Niklesh Kumar Sharma
Managing Director and Executive Pastry Chef
With a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management, Chef Niklesh started his career in the field of Pastry & Bakery. With more than 20 years of work experience in hotels, he is an award-winning pastry chef with a great record of opening hotels, renovations and upgrading of pastry kitchens.
He has worked in many luxury hotels and resorts, the last being the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel.
He is a meticulous planner with a strong hands-on approach in pre-openings and in managing big operations, distribution and events.
In-house Instructors
Vergel Iral
Executive Pastry Chef
Chef Verge, a trail blazer in his own right, is one of the professional pastry chefs with the fastest growing careers in the Philippine pastry scene. At 27 he stands as Executive Chef and skilfully carries a broad range of expertise in almost all categories of pastry: sugar and decorative works, chocolate and confectionery, classic to modern cakes and pastries, artisan breads and viennoiserie, ice and frozen desserts.
Chef Verge has been working to represent the country on the global stage, among which is his win for the national selection of Mondial des Arts Sucrés 2019, his special distinction for the Asian Gelato Cup 2022 in Singapore, and his participation as the Sugar Candidate for Team Philippines in the 2023 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France.
Recently he served as coach of the Philippines Team and member of the International Jury at the 2025 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, which made a historic finish at 11th in the global ranking — the Philippines’ highest ranking to date. More than the awards and medals, he has proven to be an inspiration to aspiring chefs of all ages.
The Academy takes great pride in having him along our line of pastry chefs who carry the same passion and continue to strive in sharing their craft with the world.
Angelica Hong
Pastry Chef
Angelica has been around the Academy for many of our yearly Pastry Forums and master classes here in the Philippines and at our headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She shows a very profound passion for the art of pastry and bakery, and with this we are confident that she will be a valuable member of our already strong team here in APCA Philippines.
Her academic background is very varied: she is a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies major in European Studies, a Bachelor of Science in Legal Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management major in Culinary Arts. Her passion for pastry and bakery changed her direction and she worked in the pastry departments of some of the five-star hotels in Manila. She will now pursue her dream to pass on her knowledge to all the aspiring new pastry chefs and bakers out there.
Dana Lacsamana
Pastry Chef
Chef Dana Lacsamana is a full-time Pastry Chef Instructor and key admin personnel at the Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts Philippines.
As an alumna of the part-time certificate program and the full-time diploma program, she took her studies to the corporate side of pastry during the first four years of her career while teaching at the Academy during the weekends.
She took on a full-time role as a corporate/technical chef specialising in chocolates and dairy, doing demos and recipe development. She then moved on as research and development manager in one of the major commercial bakeshops in the country.
Today you will find her teaching chocolates, breads, cakes and other pastries; handling student affairs, external communications and special projects, and serving as the manager for the Philippine Pastry Team.
Gian Aguirre
Assistant Pastry Chef
Chef Gian began her career at the Academy as an instructor in 2023, following her training as a culinary chef. Altogether she has been training and working in the food industry for six years.
Discovering her passion for pastry, she quickly immersed herself in the world of competitions. In 2023 she was named National Champion – Sugar Category at the Philippine Pastry Cup. This victory earned her the opportunity to represent the Philippines at the 2024 Asian Pastry Cup, which then qualified the team for the 2025 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France.
Chef Gian’s work with numerous internationally acclaimed MOFs, world champions and master chefs has allowed her to gain extensive expertise in areas such as sugar art, modern French pastries and wedding cakes.
She is passionate about creating intricate products that demand high levels of dexterity, precision and creativity — especially those that highlight fine detail and craftsmanship.
Divine Lumba
Assistant Pastry Chef
Chef Divine Lumba is a Cum Laude graduate with a degree in Business Management. She earned her Advanced Diploma in Pastry Arts from the Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts, where she now serves as an Assistant Pastry Chef Instructor.
She was a Sugar Candidate at the Philippine Pastry Cup 2025 where she won the Eco Responsibility Award. She also won Bronze in the Plated Dessert Competition at the FHA Singapore 2026, showcasing her passion for technical excellence and innovation in pastry.
With a unique blend of business expertise and culinary artistry, Chef Divine continues to inspire through her dedication to craftsmanship, creativity, and modern pastry.
Beyond the kitchen, she enjoys sharing her knowledge, exploring new creative possibilities, and continuously finding new inspiration in the art of pastry.
Visiting MOF & Master Chefs
Every intake is supported by visiting Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, world champions and master chefs from the APCA network across Asia and Europe.
