Elena Aniere – Slow Food International Director for Asia and Pacific, Reena Gamboa – Slow Food Philippines Executive Director, Ramon Uy Jr. – SFI Councilor for Southeast Asia, and Paolo Di Croce – SFI Director General (l-r) at their Bacolod office.*
In its move to become the Slow Food Hub of Asia, the local group in Bacolod City has opened a Slow Food International Office for Asia and the Pacific and is conducting a feasibility study to establish a Slow Food Educational Center in the city, an SFI official said Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Slow Food International Councilor for Asia and the Pacific Ramon “Chinchin” Uy Jr. told DIGICAST NEGROS that these steps are part of their agreement with Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and the City Government of Bacolod in its move to become the Slow Food Hub of Asia.
He said that on Tuesday, Oct. 22, they officially opened the Slow Food office at May’s Garden in Brgy. Pahanocoy in partnership with the city.
Slow Food International Director General Paolo Di Croce met with the city officials and local representatives to draw up plans for the upcoming Terra Madre – Asia Pacific next year at the Bacolod City Government Center on Wednesday.
Uy said that Di Croce is also in Bacolod for the feasibility study for the establishment of the Slow Food Educational Center and to prepare for the Slow Food Terra Madre Visayas on Nov. 19 to 23.
“We are meeting with different sectors like establishments, schools, government institutions, non-government organizations as part of the feasibility study to establish the educational center”, Uy said.
Di Croce said Terra Madre Visayas will be held as part of their strategy to make Bacolod the center of the international movement.
“The event will put to the center the diversity and quality of cuisine and ingredients while giving platform to the farmers and producers and connect them with chefs, consumers, and visitors”, he said.
With the hosting of Terra Madre Visayas this year, it will be replicated in a bigger scale next year through Bacolod’s hosting of Terra Madre Asia and the Pacific, he added.*