The Tanduay Rum Festival 2023 in Bacolod Was a Huge Success

Needless to say, the Tanduay Rum Festival 2023 held here in Bacolod City was a resounding success. The contests drew in a lot of contestants, the food park was packed every night, and the concert was well-attended. Mr. Garry Homer Ong, Tanduay Distillers’ National Marketing Manager, said during the Thanksgiving dinner on August 19, “We would like to thank everyone who supported our various events to our generous partners who made them possible.” The crowd estimate during the closing event was 27,000 strong!

Tanduay Rum Festival 2023

The Tanduay Rum Festival 2023 is a fitting tribute to this world-renowned label that is proudly made in Negros Occidental. Bacolod Councilor Em Ang authored City Ordinance No. 898 which gave birth to this festival.

“What started as a simple, rather low-key first Rum Festival in 2019, we were then halted for 2 years by the pandemic. We returned with a bigger celebration last year that signaled the opening up of tourism activities after COVID. And now, we have just witnessed this year’s festival as it is getting bigger every year. We are happy that the festival is creating not only tourism and economic activities but promoting art and culture as well,” Councilor Ang said.

She adds, “I can say that it was a great run-up to this exciting 3rd staging of the Bacolod Rum Festival, in partnership with the world’s number one rum, Tanduay.”

Rum-Based Contests

The Tanduay Rum Festival 2023 would not be complete without the rum-based contests. This year, the contests were bigger because the coverage was far and wide.

Held at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central were the Barrel Art, Flairtending, and Mixology Competitions.

Barrel Art Competition

• 1st Prize – Philip Aldrin Nalang, Weaving Friends into the Ultimate Barkada
• 2nd Prize – Psyche Amor Distor, Tanduay Kasangga sa Buhay
• 3rd Prize – Rainier Coas, Wala Sing Pangabuhi nga Mabudlay sa Tanduay

The grand winners received P20,000, P15,000, and P10,000 respectively, along with certificates and gift packs.

Consolation prizes were awarded to Israel Arabia, with his entry “Saya sa Gabing Tanduay”, and Renmar Baring, “Mix of Great Moments.” They went home with PhP2,500 each, a Tanduay gift pack, and certificates.

Flairtending Competition

The flairtending competition, which is bartending with a flair, drew in competitors from other cities, so this may be considered a national event.

• Grand Champion – Gemoel Guanzon, Bacolod City
• 2nd Prize – Simon Eday, Iloilo City
• 3rd Prize – Earl Hambre, Cagayan de Oro City

The grand champion took home PhP50,000 in cash plus a Tanduay gift pack and certificate. Moreover, he will represent Tanduay and the Philippines at the Bar Convent Singapore in November, one of the biggest cocktail events in the world.

The 2nd and 3rd prize winners got PhP20,000 and P10,000 respectively, plus Tanduay gift packs, and certificates.

Culinaria Competition

Held at the Bacolod City Government Center grounds, the Culinaria Competition featured rum-based dishes, that of course, featured Tanduay Rum. Here are the winners:

• 1st Prize and 2nd Prize – Timplada

Timplada’s entries brought the spotlight on the region’s culinary arts. This Bacolod restaurant’s Tanduay rum-infused Nilasing na Manok and Karnegrito de Rumma were declared the first and second-place winners, respectively. With two honors, the Timplada team went home with the PhP20,000 and PhP15,000 cash prizes, Tanduay gift packs, and certificates.

• 3rd Place – KKD

On 3rd Place was, KKD, which entered Paklay. The restaurant received PhP10,000, a Tanduay gift pack, and a certificate.

What to Expect

The Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival 2024 is promising to be a bigger event.

Councilor Em Ang said, “For sure we will introduce some new activities and events next year. I suggested to Charmaine (of Eggshell Communicators) that we should include a MICE event to be participated by experts, distillers, blenders, and consumers in the spirits industry (not just rum). This means we will have seminars, blind tasting, etc. That way, we can expect more people to participate, thus more economic gains for our city.”

Pinoy Rock Icon Ely Buendia Draws a Huge Crowd of Fans

On the eve of the Tanduay Rum Festival was a free concert of Filipino rock legend, Ely Buendia. The live performance drew in a big crowd and people partied to his all-time favorite songs that was capped by Ang Huling El Bimbo.

The opening of the Tanduay Rum Festival 2023 was welcomed by strong rains that drenched even Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez. However, that did not dampen the spirits of Bacolodnons as we enjoyed the events as well as the Food Park that was participated in by more than 40 food stalls.

Mayor Albee and the Bacolod City Police Office headed by Col. Noel Aliño ensured that security protocols and crowd control were in place for everyone’s safety.

This year’s Rum Festival partners were Philippine Airlines, Asia Brewery, Seda Capitol Central, Victorias Milling, Ayala Malls Capitol Central, and Hanabishi Appliances.