RUM FEST. Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia says the rum festival will help promote their city's tourism and improve the lives of sugarcane farmers. (PNA Photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor)
MANILA -- Tanduay Distillers, Inc. on Saturday announced that it would sponsor Bacolod’s first Rum Festival, a week-long celebration that seeks to highlight the city's sugarcane industry.
"Tanduay has always taken pride in the hard work and craftsmanship of the Filipino. Through the Tanduay Rum Festival, we join the city of Bacolod in giving a toast to the men and women who have made its sugarcane industry what it is today and they are a huge part in Tanduay’s success,” said Paul Lim, chief marketing officer of Tanduay Distillers, Inc., in a press briefing.
The festival will be held from Aug. 17 to 24. It will start with an Open Kitchen Competition and a Mixology Contest where participants will cook dishes and mix cocktails using rum.
Their outputs will be judged by prominent culinary and mixology professionals.
On the same day, food bazaars will feature various local Bacolodnon and rum-infused dishes for locals and tourists to enjoy.
The visual arts, meanwhile, will take center stage from Aug. 19 to 23 as Street Art and Barrel Art painting event will be held to showcase the talent of Bacolod’s local artists.
On Aug. 24, there will be a 5-kilometer Rum Run with a mini obstacle course, where participants will go through a mud crawl and a cold pool dip.
Following the race is a street dance parade and contest where participants must form groups with 30 members each.
A colorful Rum Festival Float Parade, where participants can win cash prizes, is one of the highlights of the week-long celebration.
It will end with a concert featuring rock bands and hip-hop artists from Bacolod and Manila.
“We are honored to have the world’s number one rum as our partner in staging the first Rum Festival in the Philippines. This festival is being done to celebrate the humble sugarcane. The celebration highlights Filipino excellence in different fields -- from culinary arts to music and dance,” Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said.
In line with the festival, Em Ang, chairman of Bacolod City's Tourism Committee, told reporters in an interview that they are promoting Bacolod "as a destination of events and a venue for conventions".
"Our closest neighbors like Boracay and Cebu have some of the best beaches in the world. We cannot compete with that, we don't have them, so we're creating festivals to give the best experience, that kind of tourism for our visitors so we can remain competitive in terms of tourism promotions," Ang said.
"So, this first ever rum is a win-win for both of us, Bacolod and Tanduay," she added. (PNA)
