Bacolod scales down Rum Fest amid sugar crisis

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The city government scaled down the celebration of its sixth Rum Festival on Saturday as the sugar industry continues to grapple with the red-striped soft scale insect, or RSSI, infestation.

Mayor Greg Gasataya said the city government decided to limit the festivities and redirect support to sugar farmers and landowners affected by the infestation.

Companies that had earlier pledged funding for the festival also agreed to channel their resources into corporate social responsibility programs benefiting those in the sugar industry.

“We all agreed, and that’s the right direction,” the mayor said.

The city could not fully cancel the festival, however, because a local ordinance authored by Councilor Em Ang designates the third week of August as Rum Festival Week in Bacolod.

Sugarcane, the primary raw material used in rum production, is one of Negros Occidental’s major agricultural products.

The city recently declared a state of calamity after RSSI affected about 2,000 hectares, or 65.45%, of its 3,056 hectares of planted sugarcane.

Government validation of nearly 3,000 affected sugar farmers and landowners is ongoing in preparation for cash assistance, with an initial list already submitted to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

RSSI is a sugarcane pest that feeds on plant sap and can weaken affected crops, reducing their productivity when infestations become severe.

The one-day celebration opened at SM City Bacolod North Block with a Flair Bartending Competition, where participants demonstrated their creativity, precision, and bartending skills.

Festivalgoers also received free samples of selected rum products.

First launched in 2019, the Rum Festival highlights Bacolod’s long-standing connection to the sugar industry and rum production while showcasing the city’s creativity, hospitality, and cultural heritage.