Negros Occidental, Bacolod lead Pearl Awards haul

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — The Province of Negros Occidental and the City of Bacolod were among the grand winners in the Pearl Awards during the 26th Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines National Convention held in Baguio City on Oct. 2, 2025.

The province won Grand Winner for Best Event Hosting — International for Terra Madre 2024, themed “Restoring Our Relationship with Nature,” giving the “Land of Sweet Surprises” a back-to-back win after taking the same award for its 2023 international hosting of Terra Madre “Food and Culture Biodiversity.”

The province also earned first runner-up for Best Event Hosting — Local for the Negros Trade Fair 2024 themed “Halad” and second runner-up for Best Institutionalized Program for Culture and the Arts for its entry “Sugar Cultural Landscape of Negros.”

The “Sugar Cultural Landscape of Negros” entry is also listed on the UNESCO tentative list for World Heritage Sites.

Sipalay City was Grand Winner for Best Tourism Week/Month Celebration for the 18th Sipalay City Tourism Month Celebration.

Bago City was Grand Winner for Best Practices in Sustainable Tourism for “Booming GREEN AGritOurism (BAGO).”

Silay City was Grand Winner for Best Tourism-Oriented LGU and second runner-up for Best Practices in Community-Based Tourism for “Hacienda Adela Folklore Village: Championing Regenerative Culture and Tourism.”

Bacolod City won the Highly Urbanized Category Grand Winner for Best Event Hosting (Local) for the Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival “Inasal Global” and first runner-up for Best Cultural Festival for “MassKara Festival: The Sapphire Celebration.”

The ATOP National Convention held Oct. 1–4, 2025, in Baguio City serves as an annual convergence of tourism leaders nationwide, highlighting best practices in tourism governance and providing a platform for discussions on industry trends, sustainability and innovative strategies.

The convention also celebrates success stories from across regions and the entire country.