THE City Government of Bacolod is all set for the first Rum Festival, sponsored by the Tanduay Distillers Inc., on August 17 to 24.
Former councilor Em Ang, who authored an ordinance declaring the third week of August as celebration of Rum Festival in the city, said in a press conference yesterday that she’s very happy that there will be staging for the very first time the Bacolod Rum Festival.
“This has been made possible with the passage of the ordinance establishing the Rum Festival which was passed just a few months back after months of work with the Tanduay and many others involved for the celebration of the Rum Festival in Bacolod,” she said.
Rum is a distilled clear alcoholic beverage which is a by-product of molasses production or made directly from sugar cane juice.
Ang said the sugar cane has been the major product in Bacolod City and the Province of Negros Occidental and the plantation of the same has also been the major source of employment of the citizens.
She said Bacolod City dubbed as the Sugar Capital of the Philippines, is also home of the world’s largest selling rum.
“It is just fitting that the Bacolod City Government institute a festival to commemorate the contribution of rum in the sugar industry especially to the people of the city,” Ang added.
The Rum Festival opening will be held on August 17 at 5 p.m. at the Bacolod Government Center. It will be followed by a culinaria competition, mixology competition and an opening of food bazaar.
On August 22, there will be an opening of Sabor Bisaya 2019 at the SMX Convention and a food bazaar at the Bacolod Government Center. On the next day, there will be a Street Art-Basketball Court Painting, while the highlight will be on August 24 with a Rum-Fun, Street Dance Parade and Competition, and a party at the Bacolod Government Center.
Ang said the position of Bacolod right now is to make Bacolod a Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) destination, a premier MICE destination, not only in the Visayas but in the country with many events coming to Bacolod.
“We’re very happy that Tanduay agreed to partner with us in this endeavor and Bacolod will not spending a single centavo for the celebration of the festival,” she said.
Paul Lim, Tanduay Chief Marketing Officer, said the Tanduay Rum Festival celebrates the ingenuity of the Filipino.
“One of the things that we are known most is our skill for creating fantastic dishes. Each city or province in our country has something delicious to offer and here in Negros Occidental, we can find some of the most amazing dishes. Through our support of Sabor Bisaya, we are raising a glass to all the culinary students and professionals who continue to make delicious creations, from old time favorites to new dishes,” he said.
The festivities will culminate with a concert featuring Bacolod’s and Manila’s artists.