Chef Geoffrey Perez: Barbecue that put Proa on the culinary map Therese Padua Howe Where did you grow up, and how did you learn to cook? That was Ypao Beach – this was all family (land) at one point. It was the family coming together, my mom’s side of the family (familian Makaka) – they love to party. Give them a reason, they probably didn’t need a reason, they would throw a fandangu. It was all hands on deck, the family would get together, everybody would from my grandmother to her sons, daughters, all the way to the third generation just helping out. That’s where I was really introduced to food.