Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez welcomes Lucio Tan III during the press launch of the Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival 2022.*
The Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival will be held from August 12-20, and is expected to refuel Bacolod City’s tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lucio Tan III, president and chief operating officer of Tanduay Distillers Inc. and vice chairman of the Lucio Tan Group, and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez joined a press conference at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) Friday, July 15, to announce the holding of the festival after a two-year hiatus.
Bacolod and Tanduay first staged the festival in 2019 to pay homage to the province’s sugarcane industry. It was called off in 2020 and 2021 because of the global pandemic.
Tanduay sees it fit to hold the Rum Festival again to bring attention back to the sugarcane industry and refuel the city’s tourism economy, Tan said.
“We are excited to work with the new Bacolod City government in bringing attention to the important role of Negros Occidental’s sugarcane economy in the steady growth of Tanduay overseas and the international awards it has received,” Tan said.
Rum-makers owe the province’s sugarcane industry for producing the best-quality
raw materials for its spirits that are now gaining new followers in different countries, he said.
“Negros Occidental is blessed with volcanic soil and elevated areas that are perfect for growing the grass crop and rum-making. Four of the biggest rum distilleries in the Philippines are located in the province,” Tan pointed out.
Philippine Airlines general counsel Carlu Fernandez, Tanduay Distillers Inc. vice president Kyle Tan, TDI president and COO Lucio Tan III, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, and Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez (l-r) at the press launch of the Rum Festival.*
“Our proudly Negros-made rum has been declared the World’s Number 1 Rum brand by Drinks International Magazine for the fifth consecutive year. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic and a more competitive spirits market, Tanduay managed to outsell other rum brands and win its fifth consecutive World’s Number Rum 1 award by selling 23.7 million 9-liter cases in 2021,” he added.
Benitez said the Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival is enshrined in an ordinance authored by Bacolod Councilor Em Ang.
The mayor assured Tan of the city government’s support and of its making it easier for investors to do business in Bacolod.
They will make sure everything goes smoothly for the Rum Festival and that it unfolds without hitches, Benitez said.
He urged the public to bring their friends and visitors to the festival.
PRELUDE TO MASSKARA
The Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival to be held at the BCGC grounds will be a fitting prelude to the MassKara Festival, which we will be staged again in October, its organizers said.
The Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival will showcase the craftsmanship, skill, and artistry of Bacolodnons through various events such as the Barrel Art, Bottle Design, and Street Art Competitions.
Bacolod’s famed culinary culture will also be under the spotlight through the highly-anticipated Culinaria Competition. Throughout the festival, there will be a food park for visitors to enjoy various dishes. An exciting Flairtending and Mixology contest will likewise take place.
The highlight of the Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival will be music and dancing at the Bacolod City Government Center complex.
There will be a Street Dance Fusion and Float Competition and a rock concert to be headlined by a surprise list of guest artists from Manila.*