Bacolod City Congressman Albee Benitez celebrated with the signature warm smile the first-ever Terra Madre Asia and the Pacific.
The Terra Madre Asia & Pacific 2025 officially opened at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon in Bacolod City bringing together communities from across Asia-Pacific to the Philippines for a historic celebration of sustainable food cultures.
Benitez said that Bacolod, the City of Smiles, is proud to host the inaugural regional edition.
“As we mark this historic first-ever Terra Madre Asia Pacific, let us do what Bacolodnons do best. Smile, eat well, support local, and protect the Earth that sustains us.”
“Here in Bacolod, we understand; we believe that food must be good for the body, good for the soul, and good for the planet. And so as we mark this historic first-ever Terra Madre Asia Pacific, let us do what Bacolodnons do best. Smile, eat well, support local, and protect the Earth that sustains us,” the legislator said.
The lawmaker highlighted the city’s culinary identity and the intentional effort to establish Bacolod as a recognized food destination, emphasizing that the city’s strength lies in its honest, soulful, and unforgettable cuisine.
“In Bacolod we just do not eat. We celebrate, we savor, we make time.”
“Slow Food could not have chosen a better home, because in Bacolod we just do not eat. We celebrate, we savor, we make time,” he shared as he encouraged delegates to immerse themselves in the city’s flavors and food culture.
Benitez underscored the deeper meaning of the Slow Food movement, noting that its values resonate strongly with Bacolod’s way of life.
Also attending the ceremonial ribbon-cutting were Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Slow Food President Edward Mukiibi, Slow Food International Director General Paolo di Croce, Negros Occidental Governor Bong Lacson, Congressman Javi Benitez, Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Kiko Benitez, and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Nylah Rizza Bautista.
The event also signaled the opening of the Street Food Area as well as the 18th Negros Island Organic Farmers’ Festival.
Delegates, guests, and slow food enthusiasts savored diverse dishes prepared by local and visiting chefs, cooks, and concessionaires who champion local sourcing, heritage techniques, and sustainable practices.
The five-day gathering, which ran until November 23, featured a wide range of activities including the Terra Madre Kitchen, cooking demonstrations, public talks and conferences, an organic and artisanal market, taste workshops, business-to-business sessions, ticketed meals, kitchen and restaurant takeovers, and post-event tours.
These activities provided platforms for producers, chefs, farmers, and food advocates to exchange knowledge, strengthen networks, and showcase their communities’ unique contributions to sustainable food systems.
Terra Madre is a global gathering of food communities initiated by the Slow Food movement to promote sustainable and traditional food production while championing biodiversity, food sovereignty, and equitable food systems.
The network also hosted the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, a large international gathering held in Turin, Italy, every two years.
Meanwhile, slow food refers to a philosophy that promotes food that is good for people, clean for the planet, and fair for producers, emphasizing local ingredients, tradition, and sustainability.
