The first round of drinks set the tone. One was tart and tropical with santol. Another gave the sharp, sour-sweet punch of kamias. A third balanced sweet, salty, and tart in a cocktail of brined green mangoes. Crafted by mixologist Kalel Demetrio with heritage spirits from Destileria Limtuaco, the cocktails showed how local fruits can pour world-class stories into a glass.
Then came the bites: Bacolod blue crab egg salad in black broas from Chef Angelo Comsti, lechon-stuffed pandesal with batwan jam by Lechon Diva Dedet de la Fuente, open-faced pares by Chef Patrick Go, and piayaya reimagined with kadios by Kevin Navoa and Thirdy Dolatre of Hapag. Each small serving hinted at bigger possibilities.
Small servings, but each hinted at bigger possibilities.
Infinite Ideas, Shared Effort
The launch of Terra Madre Asia Pacific 2025 in Manila was more than a dinner. It marked a turning point: the first time the world’s largest sustainable gastronomy gathering will be staged in Asia, and the first time outside Turin, Italy.
From November 19 to 23, Bacolod will welcome more than 2,000 delegates from 20 countries.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco put it simply: “Funding may be small, but opinions are infinite.” For her, gastronomy tourism tells stories of livelihood and pride — of culture that sustains both people and place.
Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy Jr., President of Slow Food Negros, echoed that vision. “When communities, government, and the private sector come together, real change happens.”
Uy speaks from experience. In earlier years, he recalled, Negros farmers resisted chemical farming and gathered in festivals where the stalls offered little more than root crops and backyard rice. Today, the same movement has grown into a living platform for sustainable agriculture. Terra Madre, Uy said, is the natural next step in a struggle carried for decades.
Why Bacolod Matters
If Filipino voices spoke of possibility, the Italian perspective placed it in history. Paolo di Croce, Director General of Slow Food International, recalled how people once questioned, “Why Bra?” — the small Italian town where the movement began.
“Today people ask: Why Bacolod? Why the Philippines?” he said. His answer: “Because it starts with producers. Farmers, fisherfolk, artisans. The future of this planet will not exist without food producers. Honoring them is crucial.”
Negros Occidental is no stranger to this role. Known as the Organic Capital of the Philippines, it has staged its Organic Farmers Festival for two decades. The streets fill with the smell of steaming native rice and the sweetness of pressed sugarcane. Farmers swap seedlings and recipes. Children dart between stalls stacked with cacao, bananas, and artisanal cheeses.
Here, sustainability is not branding. It is survival.
Designating Bacolod as the Slow Food Hub of Asia builds on that legacy. For delegates arriving in November, the city will not just be a venue but a living classroom — where traditions, ecosystems, and culture converge.
“This will not just be an event,” Uy said. “It will be a living testament to what we can achieve together — a gathering from soil to sea, where local tastes and traditions meet global conversations.”
Toward a Shared Future
Terra Madre has never been just about food on the plate. It is about who puts it there: the farmers bent over fields, the fisherfolk at dawn, the artisans preserving traditions, and the chefs who carry stories in flavor.
For the Philippines, hosting Terra Madre Asia Pacific 2025 is more than prestige. It is proof that even with limited budgets, the country can harness infinite creativity. It is a reminder that collaboration can bring local foodways to global recognition.
The Manila launch was only a taste. The real story will unfold in Bacolod — in the aroma of roasting cacao, the chatter of barter in markets, and the long tables where humble bites grow into full feasts.
Terra Madre Asia Pacific 2025 will show that food can be safe because it is rooted in place, fair because producers share in its promise, and sustainable because it draws on traditions that endure.
In November, Bacolod will welcome the world. And in doing so, Filipinos will remind us that when we gather around the table — simply, honestly, together — we can shape a future worth sharing.
Terra Madre Asia Pacific 2025 will show that food can be safe because it is rooted in place, fair because producers share in its promise, and sustainable because it draws on traditions that endure.
In November, Bacolod will welcome the world. And in doing so, Filipinos will remind us that when we gather around the table — simply, honestly, together — we can shape a future worth sharing.
Terra Madre Asia & Pacific 2025
The first regional edition of Terra Madre outside Italy will be held in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental from November 19 to 23, 2025. Hosted by Slow Food International and Slow Food Negros, the gathering will welcome more than 2,000 delegates from across Asia and the Pacific.
More information: slowfood.com/terra-madre
Discover more stories behind the fire and the legacy, read more:
The Enduring Legacy of Tinapayan Festival: How One Man’s Dream Nourished a Nation’s Soul
What It Really Takes to Become a Chef in the Philippines
From Father’s Kitchen to Culinary Cup: The Chefs Behind Marriott Manila’s Winning Streak
