Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco will arrive in Bacolod City on November 29, for its Philippine Experience program, Councilor Jason Villarosa, chairperson of the City Council committee on tourism, said Thursday, November 23.
Villarosa said the city government already prepared for the event to showcase Bacolod City.
“We will have many food crawls wherein we will showcase not only our famous Chicken Inasal but also we will showcase different kind of dishes that can only be seen here in our city,” he said.
He added that this is also one of the future projects of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to highlight the food tourism of Bacolod.
“We are known as the Manokan Country but we have to go much more wider than that, and it’s the plan of our mayor to make Bacolod as a food capital in Negros Occidental,” Villarosa said.
Villarosa noted that Frasco along with 20 other individuals from DOT will also visit other cities in Negros Occidental as well as the Bantug Lake Ranch in Barangay Granada and the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) for their food experience in the city.
“Of course, aside from foods, we will be showcasing our MassKara dancers. We will be packing Bacolod to be the next tourism destination here in the Philippines,” Villarosa said.
Philippine Experience program is the DOT’s cultural tourism initiative aimed at showcasing and celebrating the rich culture, heritage, and arts of the Philippines.
Moreover, the City Government will also hold the Festival of Lights and Christmas lights-on ceremony at the BCGC on December 2.
Instead of the Bacolod public plaza, Villarosa said, the Christmas lights on ceremony will be held at the BCGC while the Parade of Lights will be hosted by STI-West Negros University and they will hold a parade from their school towards the BCGC.
He said it’s the first time that the Parade of Lights will be held at the BCGC because of the situation of the public plaza, wherein “ukay-ukay” vendors occupied the area.
He added that this year, the city government has allotted P1 million, based on the approved ordinance, for the Festival of Lights.*