Bacolod City is preparing for another exciting Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival, scheduled from August 10 to 18 at the Bacolod City Government Center. As Tanduay Distillers, Inc. celebrates its 170th anniversary, this year’s festival is expected to be the most memorable yet.
Now in its fourth year, the Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival showcases the Bacolodnons’ love for booze, food, and music. The festival will offer a variety of activities, including flairtending and culinary competitions, a rum masterclass, parades, and street dancing. Attendees can enjoy Rum and Music Nights daily at the Food Park of the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC), where most events will be held.
The festival’s highlight is the annual concert, which has previously featured original Pilipino music (OPM) powerhouses like Sandwich and Ely Buendia. This year, Tanduay is raising the bar with two sensational headliners: the rock band Juan Karlos and the hip-hop quartet ALLMO$T.
Actor and athlete Derek Ramsay will join the festivities as the Tanduay Brand Ambassador, adding star power to the event and reflecting Tanduay’s commitment to excellence and celebration.
Bacolod, known as the sugar capital of the Philippines, boasts over 190,000 hectares of sugarcane plantations vital to rum production. “Bacolod is one of the provinces or cities that has the biggest consumption, compared to all other branches in Visayas and Mindanao,” said City Councilor Em Ang during a recent press conference at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.
Lucio Tan III, president and chief operationsofficer of Tanduay Distillers, Inc., proudly noted that Tanduay is the best-selling rum brand worldwide, a title they’ve held for seven consecutive years. Their high demand has enabled them to expand to other Southeast Asian countries, the United States, and Europe.
“Bacolod, the City of Smiles, is also the home of the world’s number 1 rum. For seven consecutive years, Tanduay has held the top spot as the best-selling rum globally, according to Drink International Magazine’s The Millionaire’s Club. In 2023, we sold an astounding 23.4 million case liters, far outpacing our nearest competitors,” he said.
“Many rum drinkers do not know that most of the Tanduay rum they drink is produced in Bacolod. For a long time, the rum production in Bacolod has been there. It should be celebrated, just like many other things that we celebrate in the city,” added Councilor Ang.
Globally, August is celebrated as the National Rum Month and August 16 is celebrated as the National Rum Day.
