• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Preparations are underway for this year’s Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival on May 24-26, with the aim to showcase the city’s famous charcoal-grilled chicken to the world.
“This 2024, we take inasal global…the celebration shall focus on creating platforms and portals for the global and national audience,” the city said at the first coordination meeting April 23, led by Mayor Alfredo Benitez, councilors Celia Flor and Jason Villarosa, city tourism head Tere Manalili, and representatives from SM City Bacolod, Ayala Malls Capitol Central, and The Upper East Megaworld, the three major festival sites, among others.
“Aton naman liwat ipabugal ang aton manamit nga chicken inasal as we go global sa aton Bacolod Inasal Festival sini nga May 24-26,” Benitez said in a post.
The city said highlight activities during the three-day festival include food tasting and beer pairing, barangay inasal cookoff and workshops, and the Bacolod Chicken Inasal Awards, which were also held at last year’s revival celebration, following a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
New events initially lined up at yesterday’s meeting were the dance challenge and modern movement competition, and the chicken inasal global beats street dance competition.
“For the second installment of the festival and after discovering its roots, and paying homage to its history, it’s time to share the Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival to the rest of the world,” the city said.
Chicken inasal has been declared the cultural property of Bacolod, under City Ordinance 1012-2022.
“As early as the 1970s, Bacolod already had ‘Chicken Alley’, a predecessor to the renowned Manokan Country, a street lined with food stalls serving freshly charcoal-grilled chicken inasal,” the ordinance states, adding “it is the policy of the City Government to preserve and protect its cultural property rights over the chicken inasal which is gaining world recognition and being acknowledged by many as a staple dish (that) originated from Bacolod.” | CGC
