23/11/2025
๐ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ผ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ฑ: ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฎ & ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ
BACOLOD CITY โ How unbelievable it is that the Philippines, among the great nations of the Asia-Pacific, now stands as host to one of the regionโs most significant international food and culture gatherings. It is even more unimaginable that this event, Terra Madre Asia & Pacific 2025, is held not in the countryโs largest capitals but in Bacolod City, whose warmth, heritage, and community spirit have welcomed the world under the canopies of Provincial Capitol Park and Lagoon.
From the moment visitors step inside, the rising steam from sizzling street food, the sweetness of warm brews, and the earthy scent of native crafts signal the beginning of a five-day celebration. The event features exhibits, hands-on learning sessions, public talks, conferences, taste workshops, cooking demonstrations, cultural showcases, street food markets, and the Slow Drinks experience. All of these activities unfold at the heart of the City of Smiles.
Founded through the global Slow Food movement in 2004, Terra Madre has grown into a network that champions food that is good, clean, and fair. Its regional editions travel across continents. This year marks its most expansive stop in the Philippines as more than 2,000 attendees gather in Bacolod. The participants include farmers, fishers, chefs, youth groups, artisans, academics, and policymakers from over twenty-five countries. They are joined by more than one hundred speakers who include MICHELIN Green Star chefs, Asiaโs 50 Best awardees, mixologists, and heritage food advocates.
Guided by the theme โFrom Soil to Sea: A Slow Food Journey Through Tastes and Traditions,โ the event highlights biodiversity, cultural identity, and food sovereignty. Through these, Bacolod strengthens its place on the international map as a center of sustainable and culturally grounded cuisine.
Across the venue, local and regional stories come alive. The Association of Negros Producers and TUMANDOK present finely crafted pineapple silk dolls and woven pieces shaped by generations of artisans. Tres Marias Stitch Studio displays detailed needlework, while Taiwanโs Slow Sake invites visitors to explore slow-crafted brews. The first Indigenous Slow Food group showcases heirloom ingredients under the theme โPreserving the Taste, Protecting a Heritage.โ
Other stalls bring comfort and familiarity. These include Aklanโs warm and creamy ginataan, the sacred Budbud Asin of Miag-ao, and the smoky ihaw-ihaw of Brgy. Toyo Papi Jeep. At Art in Motion, visitors pause for quick caricature sketches that capture their smiles and the atmosphere of the gathering.
In hosting Terra Madre Asia & Pacific, Bacolod demonstrates that greatness in cities is not measured by size but by heart, culture, and community. Beneath the white canopies, the Philippines steps proudly onto the global stage, and Bacolod shows that it can stand among the worldโs most celebrated culinary centers.
| Via Jeric Sampior
| Photo contributor: Keenese Ivyn Sales
