Bacolod City is set to host the inaugural Terra Madre Salone del Gusto Asia and the Pacific next November, with robust support from the Department of Tourism (DOT). The announcement was made by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco alongside Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, and Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez during the 2024 Terra Madre Visayas event at the Provincial Capitol’s Negros Residences.
Mayor Benitez emphasized that the DOT’s comprehensive support, ranging from financial to moral, aims to establish the Philippines as a leading food tourism destination. Terra Madre, known as the world’s premier event for food politics, sustainable agriculture, and environmental issues, will spotlight Bacolod on the global stage.
The initiative to bring the event to Bacolod was spurred by Ramon Uy Jr. of Slow Food International for Southeast Asia and Doreen Alicia Gamboa of Slow Food Community Negros, who met with Slow Food International director general Paulo di Croce and Frasco in Makati City last month. Frasco pledged the DOT’s full cooperation with Slow Food International to ensure the event’s success.
The event is expected to showcase not only the culinary delights and diversity of the Philippines but also the country’s commitment to sustainable food practices. A memorandum of agreement was signed by Mayor Benitez with Slow Food International during the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin, Italy, last September.
Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, also the president of the Negros Association of Chief Executives, hailed the launch as a significant moment for slow food advocates in Negros Island and Bacolod City. He expressed enthusiasm about positioning Bacolod and Negros as central hubs for slow food events, aiming to educate and remind Filipinos of the benefits of slow food practices.