• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Barangay 7 in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, dominated 12 other contestants during the 2023 Sabor Victorias Cooking Competition at the Victorias Plaza on Sunday.
Victorias City Mayor Javi Benitez led the ribbon-cutting ceremony together with VMC president Linley Retirado and VMC Foundation executive director Anne Tionko, at the opening of the cooking challenge which was part of the 10th Kalamayan Festival of the city.
Benitez also led the opening of the VMC Art Exhibition at the Victorias City Hall, anchored on the theme “What can you do to your community,” which will run until December 23.
Meanwhile, Barangay 7 received 20,000; while Brgy. 12 (first runner-up) received P15,000; and Brgy. 6 (second runner-up) received P10,000 during the cookfest, where all 13 participating barangays were challenged to prepare gourmet Filipino a la carte dishes using Victorias Food Corporation products.
Retirado said that “Every year, since 2015, we have been part of the Kalamayan Festival – a festival to celebrate the sugarcane industry. After all, when you think of kalamay or quality sugar, what comes to mind is our (VMC) sugar, which has been a strong player in the market for over 100 years, touching the lives of sugar industry players through the years.”
Aside from sugar, the city is known for its Negros-made Spanish-style sardines and Spanish-style bangus, as well as the Victorias ham, especially during the Christmas season, he said.
“And so today, we once again bring our quality and healthy products to the fore during this year’s Kalamayan Festival through the Sabor Victorias Cooking Competition,” Retirado added.*
