AT LEAST 25 countries will join in the Terra Madre Asia & Pacific (TMAP) 2025 in Bacolod City on November 19 to 23, 2025.
These countries include Afghanistan, Australia, Bagladesh, China Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Nepal, New Zeland, Pakistan, Palau, Samoa, South Korea, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Liste, USA, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.
Ramon “Chin Chin” Uy Jr., Slow Food councilor for Southeast Asia, said the event will gather at least 2,000 delegates from different countries at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon for the five-day event.
He said Terra Madre, Slow Food's premier global event, is making its regional debut in Asia and the Pacific. After years as a biennial event in Turin, Italy, TMAP 2025 will mark the first regional edition, to be held in the Philippines.
He added that the culinary talents will collaborate to showcase the region's rich culinary heritage, creating dishes that elevate local food systems and celebrate the philosophy of good, clean, and fair food.
Uy noted that TMAP 2025 is not only a gathering of culinary talents but also a momentous occasion that solidifies Bacolod City's designation as the “Center for Sustainable Gastronomy” and Negros Occidental as the “Organic Capital of the Philippines.”
Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez, Department of Tourism-Western Visayas and Negros Island Region director, said all regions in the country will also join the event where the farmers will be the stars of the event.
The event is an evolution of the successful Terra Madre Visayas events previously hosted in 2023 and 2024, demonstrating the region's growing importance in the global Slow Food movement.
With the theme “From Soil to Sea: A Slow Food Journey Through Tastes and Traditions,” TMAP 2025 will bring together farmers, fishers, indigenous leaders, chefs, cooks, academics, youth, and cultural advocates to celebrate food biodiversity and advance sustainable food systems rooted in tradition, fairness, and care for the environment.
Reena Gamboa, TMAP 2025 executive director, said they will also showcase the use of ingredients unique in the slow food dishes to ensure that they are not forgotten.
Vice Mayor Claudio Puentevella said TMAP is a project in collaboration with Congressman Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, the City Government of Bacolod led by Mayor Greg Gasataya, Provincial Government of Negros Occidental led by Governor Eugenio Lacson, Department of Tourism led by Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Department of Agriculture led by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Department of Trade and Industry led by Secretary Cristina Roque, and the and the Slow Food Community in Negros.
At the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin, Italy last year, Benitez, then city mayor, signed the memorandum of agreement with Slow Food International for Bacolod’s hosting of the event this year.
Benitez earlier said Terra Madre is considered the largest event dedicated to food politics, sustainable agriculture and the environment.
He said slow food is a movement that started in Europe that is promoting sustainable gastronomy.
Moreover, the Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department (BTTMD) already implemented a road closure on North and South Capitol Roads from November 10, until November 24, 2025.
Lawyer Reuben Sabig, BTTMD officer-in-charge, earlier said there will closure on South Capitol Road will cover the stretch from Lacson Street to Gatuslao Street.
He said all public utility jeepneys (PUJs) from the north will turn right to 13th Street towards Gatuslao Street, while all PUJs from the south will turn right to Gatuslao Street towards Lacson Street.
He added that the event will not affect the traffic scheme on Lacson Street. (MAP)