MANILA, Philippines — The fourth edition of the Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival is set to take place from August 10 to 18 at the heart of the Negros Occidental capital.
Since 2019, the Rum Festival has served as a sort of prelude to the famous Masskara Festival, one of the many monthly festivals celebrated in Bacolod City.
During a media conference last July 30 held in Manila’s Century Park Hotel, festival organizers shared that August is globally celebrated as Rum Month, similar to how Oktoberfest celebrates beer.
The Bacolod City Government will host the Rum Festival where there will be a food park, a mixology and flairtending competition, a culinary competition, a distillery tour, and a rum masterclass.
With past headliners like Ely Buendia, Sandwich, and Arthur Nery, the 2024 edition will be led Juan Karlos “JK” Labajo.
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Bacolod City councilor Em Ang, head of the Committee on History, Culture, and Arts, noted that Bacolod is the only local government unit with a rum festival, not just for Tanduay but for other distilleries given the abudance of sugar on Negros island.
Ang also said Bacolod had bigger rum purchases than other cities in Visayas, and that rum is best paired with the famous Bacolod Inasal chicken.
Asked by Philstar.com how the Rum Festival further boosts Bacolod City’s tourism, the city’s Chief Tourism Operations Officer Teresa Manalili said the Rum Festival “promotes the heritage of Bacolod.”
According to Ang, the Rum Festival invites diverse local and international tourists, sharing that in 2023, the city welcomed 780,000 tourists, which equalled to P7 billion in local receipts.
Ang added the festival also showcases Bacolod City’s local craftsmanship of music, arts, and mixology.
This year is also special for Tanduay as it celebrates its 170th anniversary and continues to surpass the sales of Bacardi rum since 2019.
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