• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Bacolod City and SM officials led the ceremonial grilling at the Manokan Country at SM City Bacolod yesterday to kick off the 5th Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival (BCIF).
Leading the ceremonial grilling of chicken inasal were SM regional manager George Anthony Jardiolin, Bacolod Councilor Claudio Puentevella, Manokan Country Vendors Association president Tee Sacro, Councilors Celia Flor and Jude Thaddeus Sayson, SM City Bacolod mall manager Julia Javellana, and Bacolod Tourism Operations Officer Ma. Teresa Manalili.
The BCIF Grill Fest launch and countdown, and the Piaya Grilling ceremony will take place at The Upper East of Megaworld at 5 p.m. today.
Flor, chair of the Sanggunian Committee on Markets, said the city government organized different activities for the 5-day BCIF, which will include culinary workshops and culinary contests involving the barangays and schools. The activities will be held in three different venues – SM City, Ayala Malls Capitol Central, and The Upper East of Megaworld where there will be nightly entertainment.
Sacro said the ceremonial grilling was sponsored by SM City Bacolod. They hope diners would come and celebrate the BCIF because they have prepared a lot for them.
Meanwhile, Sacro said they hope that they could transfer to the permanent site being prepared for them the soonest possible time because they are facing many challenges in their temporary stalls at SM. Their customers do not feel comfortable under their present situation especially during heavy rains or when the heat is scorching.
They have raised these issues to the local government and to SM. So SM has allocated a budget for the installation of extended canopies which will be a big help to the tenants so they can accommodate more customers. There are currently 24 tenants operating in Manokan Country, she said.*
