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2019 Guide to Tanduay Rum Festival in Bacolod

The first-ever Rum Festival in the City of Bacolod promises to be a really exciting one. Sponsored by Tanduay, the World’s Number One Rum, the festival pays homage to the humble sugarcane, which has been an important part of both the company and the city’s prosperity.

How It Started

Tanduay Distillers came up with an idea of a Rum Festival and proposed to the City government the possibility of holding it in Bacolod. An ordinance authored by then Bacolod City Councilor Em Ang and passed on April 1, 2019 declared the third weekend of August as the date for holding of the Rum Festival. In the ordinance, Ang cited how Bacolod has been dubbed as the “Sugar Capital of the Philippines” and is the “home of the world’s largest selling rum.”

Tanduay Rum Festival Schedule of Activities

Aug. 17, Saturday

Opening Ceremonies at 3PM. Top government officials and Tanduay executives are slated to attend the event, which will also see the announcement of the winners of the Barrel Art Competition that was held earlier in the week.

Rum Festival – Barrel Art Painting Competition

This will be followed by the highly-anticipated Culinaria Competition at 4PM and the opening of the Food Bazaar at 5 PM.

At 6 PM, the region’s talented young bartenders take center stage for the Mixology Contest. All these activities will be held at the New Government Center Grounds (NGC).

Scenes during the Culinaria Competition at the Bacolod Rum Festival

Judges of the competition include the country’s top chefs BJ Uy, Don Colmenares, Nico de Asia Millanes. They will be joined by Bacolod-based journalist, chef and trainer Sammy Nuarbe. Singapore-based Victoria Beckley of the World Gourmet Summit and mixologist Ricky Paiva will also join them.

Aug. 17 – 24 Food Bazaar

Food Bazaar continues at the NGC from Aug. 18 to 24, 5 AM to 12 NN.

Aug. 22, Thursday

The Tanduay Rum Festival joins Sabor Bisaya for its Opening Ceremonies at the SMX Convention Center. The culinary exhibit and competition continues on Aug. 23 and 24.

Tanduay Rum joins Sabor Bisaya Exhibit

Aug. 23, Friday

Rapper Mike Swift leads the Street Art and Basketball Court Painting Activities at 10 AM at Barangay Montevista Gym, Bacolod City.

Aug. 24, Saturday

The Tanduay Rum Festival will hold the exciting Rum Run at 3 PM by Bacolod’s premier running organizer Coach Franklin Echeverria. This will be followed by the Street Dance Parade and Competition at 4PM, which was organized by Zin Joann Visitacion.

1:00PM – 4:30PM – Rum Run

*4:00PM – 4:17PM – Rum Run (Awarding of Female and Male Runners)

3:30PM – 4:53PM – Parade

5:03PM – 7:15PM – Street Dance Fitness Competition

7:16PM – 11:45PM – After Party

The festival will then end on a night of music with an after-party that will feature performances from iconic rock band Sandwich; rapper Mike Smith; Idol Philippines’ Dan Ombao and Miguel Ordon; and Bacolod’s Project Juan, Barbie na Doll, and Cali Island.

Need more information? Follow Tanduay Rum Festival’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TanduayRumFestival/ for updates.