BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Tanduay, the world’s number 1 rum, is staging The 2022 Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival in partnership with the Bacolod City Government from August 1 to 20 as a fitting prelude to the MassKara Festival scheduled in October.
The festival will showcase the craftsmanship, skills and artistry of Bacolodnons through various events such as the Barrel Art, Bottle Design, and Street Art competitions.
Lucio Tan III, Tanduay Distillers, Inc. president and chief operations officer, yesterday said “We at Tanduay, are very honored to be part of your initiative in driving business and tourism back in the city as we continue this year the holding of the Rum Festival.”
Tan said rum makers owe the province‘s sugarcane industry for producing the best quality raw materials for its spirits that are now gaining new followers in different countries.
Negros Occidental is blessed with volcanic soil and elevated areas that are perfect for growing the grass crop and for rum-making. Four of the biggest rum distilleries in the Philippines are located in the province, he said.
“It is with this in mind that the City Government of Bacolod and Tanduay Distillers, Inc. conceived the first Rum Festival in the Philippines in 2019. The week-long festival was a homage to the crop and the province that produced the best raw materials for rum-making. Today, the province is likewise the source of the world’s number one rum, Tanduay,” Tan said.
Tanduay has been on a winning streak in the most recent years, he said adding that “Our proudly Negros-made rum has been declared the World’s Number 1 Rum brand by Drinks International Magazine for the fifth consecutive year. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic and a more competitive spirits market, Tanduay managed to outsell other brands and win its fifth consecutive World’s Number 1 Rum award by selling 23.7 million 9-liter cases in 2021.”
Tan said they have expanded to 14 different states in the US, as well as to different European countries, despite pandemic restrictions. In addition, they have also partnered with different NBA teams like the Golden State Warriors. So overall, they are extremely optimistic in terms of their outlook in making Tanduay not only a dominant local brand but an international brand as well.
Meanwhile, Benitez said the city government would like to roll out the red carpet to investors and try to find ways to reduce the processes of government requirements to make it easier for them to come in.
They hope that the city’s partnership with Tanduay will gain more confidence for other investors and business stakeholders to come in and also show that Bacolod is really serious in luring businesses and helping them thrive, he said.
Benitez is inviting everyone to the Rum Festival, as well as the tourists since the city is putting protocols in place to ensure that everyone is safe.*
