By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA

The Bacolod City government has expressed its interest in being a Creative City of Gastronomy for 2027 under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

“We submitted our bid to be a Creative City of Gastronomy for 2027 because when we talk about gastronomy, food and flavor, it’s Bacolod City,” Mayor Greg Gasataya said.

Unesco’s City of Gastronomy project is part of the wider creative cities network.

The network was launched in 2004 and organizes member cities into seven creative fields, such as crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts, and music.

Gasataya cited the just-concluded Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival (BCIF), the city’s world-famous chicken inasal, which was celebrated from May 29 to 31.

“When you talk about chicken inasal, it’s Bacolod City,” Gasataya said.

This year’s festival, with the theme “Inasal City,” highlighted the city’s identity as the home of the iconic grilled chicken dish. It’s an annual event that celebrates the city’s rich culinary heritage.

The first Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival was held in 2018, with the participation of various chicken vendors in the city.

“The more activities that we have, we also help our vendors, especially in the Manokan Country,” Gasataya said.

In the aspect of tourism, he said the festival brings good development to the city’s economy.

Gasataya disclosed that this year’s BCIF was facilitated by Councilor Celia Matea Flor, chairperson of the city council committee on markets, and Councilor Jason Villarosa, chairperson of the city council committee on tourism./MAP, WDJ