Bacolod city: This highly urbanized city celebrates being home to a world-class rum in the fifth year of the Bacolod Rum Festival, which kicked off at the Government Center Lobby Thursday night. Mayor Greg Gasataya and national marketing managers Garry Ong and Albert Jucutan of Tanduay Distillers Inc., the event's main sponsor, led the opening of the four-day festivity, which features parades, street dance competitions, culinary pairings, and concerts.

According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Gasataya emphasized the festival's significance in bringing together culture, pride, and world-class rum. Molasses, the primary material in making rum, comes from sugarcane farms in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental. The Tanduay Negros Plant, located at the boundary of Bacolod City and Murcia town, manufactures rum that is supplied across the Visayas.

In its latest edition, the Bacolod Rum Festival introduces rum education, featuring a rum master class and rum-infused cuisine. Mayor Gasataya highlighted the opportunity to enjoy and learn about the craft behind rum, showcasing Bacolod's creativity and culinary artistry. He also paid tribute to local sugarcane farmers and workers for their contribution to local identity and global recognition.

Jucutan expressed excitement about the festival's growth each year and thanked the city government for its support. On Saturday, the Government Center grounds will host culinary and bartending competitions, as well as a street dancing showdown of eight barangays, followed by a grand concert in the evening.