BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez is pushing this city as a slow food destination in Asia.

BENITEZ (Glazyl Masculino)
Benitez said on Tuesday, November 28, that the city government is negotiating with Slow Food International to promote food tourism here.
“We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. But we just want the technology using their good will and what they have built. So now, we will just collaborate with them,” Benitez said.
Benitez said that Slow Food International is one of the very successful food tourism programs in Europe.
He said that it may be possible to also have an Asian counterpart, adding that the city government is promoting to make Bacolod the center of that program.
“Slow food means that the food does not only tastes good, but it should also have a sustainable way in getting or creating the ingredients,” Benitez added.
Benitez said that they will come up with a program that can enhance visitor and tourism arrivals here and make food a major attraction.
“We are known to be a food destination, let’s build on that, Benitez said, adding that creative food could be a tool for promoting food tourism here.”
Benitez said that this is something that they would want to present to Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco and see what kind of collaboration they can have within the department in promoting food tourism here.
Oxford Dictionary defines slow food as food that is produced or prepared in accordance with local culinary traditions, typically using high-quality locally sourced ingredients.