Pardon me for initially thinking when I first heard the phrase “Slow Food” that it was the Ayurvedic way of consuming food literally in a slow and calm manner. I have heard the term "Slow Food" numerous times since I first encountered it. While it shares similarities with the Ayurvedic approach, emphasizing a healthier approach to food consumption that maximizes the benefits of natural ingredients, it also means something else, a movement where at its heart, is the advancement of local foods, traditional gastronomy and organic food production.

The Slow Food Movement

Slow food is defined as cooking or producing food in line with regional culinary traditions, with an emphasis on using fresh, locally produced, high-quality ingredients. In short, it’s the polar opposite of a fast-food.

Carlo Petrini founded Slow Food, an organization in Italy in 1986, with the goal of championing local food and heritage cooking. The Slow Food Movement, which strives to preserve regional cuisine, cultivate agricultural produce, raise livestock, nourish community food production enterprises, and promote sustainable eating as organically as possible, has grown to include 160 member countries, including the Philippines.

The Second Terra Madre Visayas

Terra Madre, which translates to "Mother Earth" in Italian, is a vast network of food communities that the Slow Food organization launched to provide a platform for farmers, fishermen, livestock raisers, and other culinary artisans whose methods align with the philosophy of the organization.

Turin, Italy hosted the major Terra Madre event this year from September 26 to 30, while other countries, including the Philippines, hosted several smaller events. The Terra Verde Visayas took place in Bacolod City from November 19-23, 2024.

The event was held on the province's Capitol Grounds in Bacolod City and coincided with the 17th Organic Farmers Festival, providing a double dose of sustainable food activism.

The five-day event featured numerous educational talks and workshops, featuring renowned personalities from various fields such as culinary, farming, crafts-making, and food preservation. These included food writer Ige Ramos, who led a discussion on the "Legacy of Mario Orosa on Filipino Food Preservation," organic farming advocate Cherrie Atilano, members of various Slow Food communities in the country, food scientists, farmers, and more.

The Slow Food Terra Madre Visayas was made possible through the collaboration with the City Government of Bacolod, headed by Mayor Albee Benitez; the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, led by Governor Eugenio Lacson; Congressman Kiko Benitez; Senator Loren Legarda; the National Commission for Culture & Arts; the Department of Tourism; Mayor Javi Benitez; Slow Food International; and the Slow Food Community of Negros.

Slow Food Community of Negros

Nowadays, when someone mentions slow food in the culinary community, it's likely that someone will immediately associate it with Negros, as the island is home to the most active slow food organization in the country, Slow Food Negros.

One of its more prominent members comes from a direct lineage of a culinary icon in the country. Reena Gamboa, the niece of the late renowned food writer Doreen Gamboa Fernandez, recounts her first foray to slow food. "My mom, who is the president of the Negros Cultural Foundation, has always been in the arts and culture scene," Gamboa shares with BusinessMirror. "I just happened to pick up my mom in her meeting with some members of Slow Food Negros and I was invited to join." Reena Gamboa quickly assumed the role of the community's spokesperson in 2019 and has since actively championed their advocacy.

As it carves a path to become the leader of the movement throughout the entire country, Slow Food Negros is now taking the next steps, having inked a contract with the Slow Food Movement to operate an office in Bacolod City, construct an education center, and host the Terra Madre Asia-Pacific event next year.

With nearly 20,000 hectares of farmland available for organic farming, the island of Negros appears poised to spearhead the promotion of the organization's slow food philosophy, not only in the Philippines but also throughout Asia Pacific.

Asked by BusinessMirror how this development will make a positive effect on the province of Negros Occidental not only in the economy, in food security but also in tourism, Reena Gamboa believes this is a step towards attracting more tourists, from domestic and abroad, to visit Bacolod City. "We are organizing slow food community experiences for guests to appreciate the farmer, the process, and the ingredient by visiting the area, participating in the process of making something out of the ingredients, thus, making the experience memorable, enjoyable and educational. By holding the biennial Terra Madre Asia-Pacific next year, we hope to increase tourism just like how Terra Madre Salone del Gusto has achieved in Turin, Italy", Gamboa said.

What’s next for Slow Food? Slow Drink perhaps

While exploring the Terra Verde Visayas grounds, I came across a booth serving “slow food drinks.” Unable to try out something as my attention was quickly disrupted by someone grilling an eel barbecue, I quizzed Reena Gamboa later on about the slow drink scene in Negros right now.

“Slow Drink is a new concept that will allow our bartenders and chefs to discover different local ingredients that they may ferment and make into drinks, whether alcoholic or not,” Gamboa said. “For now, only Lanai by Fresh Start has drinks using fresh local ingredients. Kapipat will soon launch its own line of slow drinks, utilizing our local tuba, to encourage people to appreciate what is truly ours once again."

From the sound of it, it appears that Bacolod City and the rest of Negros Occidental are becoming prime drivers of this movement, complete with excellent food and drinks to boot.

Slow Food as part of community-based tourism

In the northern tip of Negros, the city of Sagay remains a benchmark for community-driven tourism programs that heavily involve local residents in the managing and operation of sites such as the Carbin Reef, Suyac Island Mangrove Eco-Park, Lapus-lapus Floating Cottage, and Museo Sang Bata, just to name a few. As part of its Earth-first approach to marketing its tourism draws, Sagay has also become a staunch supporter of the slow food movement that is sweeping across the island of Negros.

The city’s Tourism Officer Helen Javier Arguelles finds the idea of “clean, good, and fair food” aligning with the direction the city of Sahay has taken towards sustainable tourism and its decades-long maritime conservation program. “We share the same goals as it supports local communities, promotes sustainability and biodiversity conservation, minimizes impact, creates authentic, meaningful experiences, and promotes responsible behavior that protects natural and cultural heritage,” Arguelles said.

This writer had the chance to savor Sagay's Slow Food experience during a recent trip. I was back on the plane heading to Bacolod City barely seven days after the Terra Madre Visayas event. I arrived in Sagay City with a small group and after a whole morning of traveling, we docked on the powdery sands of Carbin Reef where we meet Chef Mark Lobaton, who was in the middle of preparing a traditional Sagay feast for us.

Laid out in front of us are plates full of kinilaw na tanigue, kinilaw na hipon, sea urchins, and grilled conch, all sourced from the bounteous waters of the Visayan Sea.

Chef Mark Lobaton inherited his cooking chops, especially in the creation of Kinilaw, from his father, Vicente Lobaton, a former fisherman who became a cook. The late food critic and historian Doreen Gamboa Fernandez referred to Vicente as the "Kinilaw Artist" of Old Sagay.

No wonder chef Mark's Kinilaw, with its special vinegar dipping, packs a flavorful punch and delivers instant delight for the palate, but more importantly, it does justice to his father's legacy—as well as being a welcome addition to Negros’ slow food movement.

As Bacolod City gears up for an even bigger event next year, the Terra Madre Asia-Pacific, Reena Gamboa admits challenges still await before Filipinos start to question the food they are taking.

"We, Filipinos, have been so accustomed to thinking cheaper is better without realizing that maybe we should question ourselves: Where does our food come from?" wonders Gamboa.

Holding activities such as community kitchens, according to Gamboa, can go a long way in spreading the word about the slow food movement. The more people realize that we can have access to good, clean, and fair food, the sooner we can also properly reward our farmers who have committed to producing high-quality ingredients. "One must be aware that the farmer needs to be paid a fair price, too. We take baby steps to be able to make people realize the realities of food systems," reminds Gamboa.

Festivals or Fiestas have become an important part of life in the Philippines' many provinces. These celebrations not only highlight local traditions, but also provide an opportunity for local residents to showcase their talents in cultural performances. Festivals also bring together residents and visitors from all over the world to celebrate life and promote local culture. The Panaad sa Negros, which began in 1993, is one such festival that everyone should attend.

Panaad, which means "promise" in Hiligaynon, is held every month of April in Bacolod City as a form of tribute and thanksgiving to divine providence. It gathers cultural performing contingents from the province's 32 cities and municipalities into one single festival, earning it the moniker "Mother of All Festivals."

Here are some reasons why you should attend the Panaad sa Negros Festival in Bacolod City next April to help you decide.

All of the province's cities and municipalities take part in the Panaad sa Negros. The grand street dance competition becomes a melting pot of all the contingents performing their respective festival themes and dances during the highlight weekend. If you enjoy festivals and want to learn more about the various fiesta revelries of Negros Occidental, the Panaad sa Negros should be your one-stop shop. This is why it is known as the "Mother of All Festivals" in Negros Occidentales.

Unlike most Philippine festivals, where all performers follow nearly identical choreography, Panaad sa Negros boasts of diverse dance routines inspired by the various themes that the various contingents are attempting to showcase. As a result, watching all 32 participating municipalities perform their street dance sequences will never bore viewers.

At the Panaad sa Negros, all 32 cities and municipalities bring their respective festivals or fiestas for the world to see. As a result, each group is able to demonstrate their town's culture and tradition by portraying a resemblance of the local's daily life, various traditions in practicing their faith, and even their mode of livelihood. Each will provide the audience with an insight into life in the various communities of Negros Occidentales.

Each city and municipality marches inside the Panaad stadium dressed in a variety of brightly colored costumes. The fine artistry involved in creating the varying glitzy costumes of the performers will undoubtedly be appreciated by the audience. It is always a magnificent sight to see all of them from the stadium stands, with each group dressed in gleaming attires with intricate designs, fabrics, and other ingenious accessories. During the Panaad sa Negros, the level of inventiveness in the crafting of the costumes of the street dance participants rises to new heights.

The Panaad sa Negros' Festival dance competition is a must-see event because of the diverse dance choreographies, cultural portrayal, and retelling of local tales. Viewing each contingent will educate the audience on other interesting local tales and parables that are still commonly told in the various cities and municipalities of Negros Occidentales.

The road to Bagan was flanked with rolling twigs and dead golden soil on both sides. Miles and miles and you wouldn't see a living thing. After an hour of almost similar scenery, we passed by a small town and after another hour we found a gasoline station in the middle of nowhere. We made a short pit stop there while the sun was about to set.

Whether you attended the entire week-long Panaad sa Negros celebration or just the highlight weekend, you can't leave without visiting the many beautiful attractions of Negros Occidental. Danjugan Island offers a quiet retreat to go along with learning about its model program of nature conservation.

History and heritage enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that the streets of Sipalay and Talisay are lined with century-old houses that tell fascinating stories about our country's past. Silay's fine, pristine sandy beaches are up there with the best in the country. Of course, the presence of Mount Kanlaon is difficult to ignore for adventure seekers. These are just a few of the many places in Negros Occidental worth visiting after Panaad sa Negros.

The province of Negros Occidentales is well-known for its sweet surprises. When it comes to tourist attractions, it undoubtedly provides more breathtaking and exciting destinations. Culture, food, nature pots, friendly people, and more are all on their way. It's better to discover it all for yourself, and what better time to do so than during next year's Panaad Sa Negros?