Bacolod City celebrates being home to a world-class rum in the fifth year of the Bacolod Rum Festival, which kicked off at the Government Center Lobby Thursday night, August 28.
The Government Center grounds on Saturday will host the culinary and bartending competitions, as well as the street dancing showdown of eight barangays, to be followed by a grand concert in the evening.
Mayor Greg Gasataya and national marketing managers Garry Ong and Albert Jucutan of Tanduay Distillers Inc., the event’s main sponsor, led the opening of the four-day festivity, which features parades, street dance competitions, culinary pairings, and concerts.
“This festival brings together our culture, our pride, and our world-class rum. In just five years, it has grown into a much-anticipated tradition,” Gasataya said in his message.
Molasses, the primary material in making rum, comes from sugarcane farms here and Negros Occidental.
The Tanduay Negros Plant, located at the boundary of Bacolod City and Murcia town, manufactures rum that is supplied across the Visayas.
In its latest edition, the Bacolod Rum Festival introduces rum education, featuring a rum master class and rum-infused cuisine.
“Here, we not only enjoy the finest rum, but we also learn more about the craft behind it – a showcase of Bacolod’s creativity and culinary artistry,” the mayor said.
Gasataya also paid tribute to local sugarcane farmers and workers, acknowledging their “hard work that continues to fuel both our local identity and global recognition.”
“We’re very excited every year, and we’re trying to make it bigger and bigger each time. We thank the city government for its continued support,” Jucutan said.*PNA