Chef Margarita Forés, Founder of Cibo, Has Died at Age 65 — Here's What We Know

In January 2016, chef Margarita Forés was voted Asia's Best Female Chef by over 300 of her industry peers. At a press conference following the announcement, a surprised Margarita thanked her son and family, who have always supported her culinary endeavors.

Although she is originally from the Philippines, Margarita fell in love with Italian food after a four-month trip to Italy where she underwent intensive training in both the language and the cuisine. A decade later, Margarita opened up Cibo, an Italian restaurant dedicated to serving good Italian food for a reasonable price. Sadly the world lost Margarita on Feb. 11, 2025. Here's what we know about her cause of death.

Margarita's son Amado shared the news of his mother's passing, at the age of 65, in an Instagram post. "Our family is mourning this unexpected loss," he wrote "and we kindly ask for your prayers during this time. We will be able to share more in due time." A cause of death was not revealed, but Margarita had previously been diagnosed with cancer twice.

After beating thyroid cancer in 2006, she began focusing on cleaner living, which included taking a closer look at the ingredients she used in her dishes. In an interview with Esquire, Margarita said that sourcing things more ethically was costly, but "it was worth sticking our necks out and being pioneers with that kind of movement." Seven years later, Margarita was diagnosed with breast cancer but was able to beat that as well.

Margarita was never married, but according to a profile on the restauranter for Positively Filipino, she had quite the colorful love life. Not much is known about her son's father, who got a shoutout on Margarita's Instagram in February 2020 for his birthday. "Happy Birthday to Danding, Amado’s Dad," she wrote beneath a photo of the trio smiling.

Other than her son, it almost seems as if the love of Margarita's life was food. She told Positively Filipino that her love of Italian food led her to get to know Filipino food in an entirely new way. "We grew up with a colonial mentality, always thinking that what’s imported is better," she explained. "I think we only enjoyed good Filipino food at home. We had to fall in love with our own all over again."