Sagay City’s sustainable tourism programs and community-centered approach to tourism took center stage at the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026 in Turin, Italy recently.
Sagay’s Tourism officer and Slow Food Community spokesperson Helen Arguelles Cutillar shared these initiatives during the panel discussion “Slow Food Travel: From Community to Destination” Sept. 24 at the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento.
Chaired by Slow Food travel coordinator Alessandra Turco, the session brought together international changemakers from Mexico, Austria, Italy, and the Philippines to discuss building trust, community engagement, and authentic destination development.
It also explored practical steps toward developing slow food travel destinations, with emphasis on engaging communities, building trust, and connecting the people who shape each destination.
Drawing from Sagay’s experience in Negros Occidental, Arguelles shared a guiding perspective: tourism should enrich lives, protect heritage and natural resources, and help build communities. This begins with mapping local food, traditions, and community assets, the city said Oct. 11.
She said that one of the foundations of sustainable tourism in Sagay is a protected marine biodiversity.
Anchored in the Filipino principle of “kapwa”, or shared humanity, Sagay’s approach places relationships at the heart of the visitor experience. Food becomes an expression of care and connection—the Filipino love language woven into its tours.
Arguelles also highlighted tourism’s potential as a form of soft power, using food, culture, and meaningful encounters to inspire community transformation. Its strength lies in the daily, consistent commitment to sustainability, justice, and the dignity of host communities.
Tourism-Negros Island Region director Krisma Rodriguez said Sagay’s participation brought a grounded perspective from NIR to the global slow food conversation – meaningful tourism grows through patient community work, thoughtful planning, and shared responsibility.
Through Sagay’s story, the region demonstrated how the journey from community to destination can keep people, culture, and nature at it, Rodriguez said.
Sagay Mayor Leo Rafael Cueva expressed gratitude as the city’s decade-long sustainable tourism program continues to gain ground, empowering local communities while transforming and protecting biodiversity.
Vice Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr. said “the city’s participation in the Slow Food movement allows us to showcase Sagay’s rich marine and agricultural biodiversity on an international stage, proving that coastal conservation and local livelihoods go hand-in-hand.” ||
