Bacolod City – Dubbed as the country’s sugar capital, this city on Saturday has kicked its first-ever Rum Festival.
The festivity slated Aug. 17 to 24 is in partnership with Tanduay Distillers Inc.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, in his speech, said “Bacolod is a natural habitat of festivals and that’s why the Rum Festival must be rightfully celebrated here.”
Present during the opening was former councilor Em Ang, who authored the ordinance declaring the third week of August as Rum Festival celebration.
Rum is a distilled alcoholic drink made from sugarcane by-products, such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice. It is made through fermentation and distillation. Its distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels.
The Rum Festival aims to highlight the local cuisine that goes great with rum as well as to honor the sugar industry and further promote Bacolod’s tourism.
“It is just fitting that the city government institute a festival to commemorate the contribution of rum in the sugar industry especially to the people of the city,” Ang told reporters in an earlier interview.
Aside from the culinary and mixology contests, this year’s Rum Festival also features street-dancing, food bazaar and 5K Fun Run activity. (With a report from Bacolod City PIO/PN)
