Terra Madre Asia Pacific 2025 in Bacolod

Evenings were reserved for kitchen takeovers in restaurants around Bacolod, wherein local talents were able to cook shoulder-to-shoulder with chefs from all over at sold-out events. Chef Miko Calo (Taqueria Franco) filled the dining room of Lanai by Freshstart with diners eager for a sampling of her French-trained culinary prowess. In Sitting Duck, chefs Angelo Comsti (Offbeat Bistro) and Don Colmenares (Sauma) collaborated on a multi-course menu that brought to life their shared passion for regional Filipino cuisine and indigenous ingredients. Bar takeovers also saw the likes of local mixologist Kalel Demetrio, Sasha Wijidessa and Christina Rasmussen of Fura Singapore and Danny Childs from the US behind the stick and whipping up their signature cocktails. 

All throughout the five-day event, people flocked to the Capitol Lagoon where there were hundreds of street food stands from all over the Philippines, as well as international representatives from Japan, Singapore, Korea and others who have come to share their respective local ingredients and how they ingeniously use them in dishes and condiments. There was also another long corridor for the farmers’ market, wherein local grains, dried seafood, root crops and all kinds of fresh produce were on display to showcase the bounty of our land and oceans. 

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“Terra Madre Asia & Pacific celebrates the food communities shaping resilient food systems across the region. It is a unique opportunity for farmers and food producers to meet and find collective solutions to global challenges,” says Edward Mukiibi, Slow Food President. “The Terra Madre network in Asia and the Pacific has grown through Slow Food communities. Now is the time to gather every two years, not only to celebrate our gastronomic diversity, but to confront shared challenges such as the climate crisis and declining biodiversity.”

As a political, cultural and gastronomic platform, Terra Madre Asia & Pacific addresses urgent issues including climate change, seed sovereignty, respectful tourism and the links between food and health. Among these, a strong stance has emerged against the potential introduction of GMOs in Negros Island, currently under discussion. “We are against the proposal to allow GMO planting on our island, as it would harm our community and our farmers, whether organic or conventional,” says Ramon “Chinchin” Uy Jr, Slow Food Councillor for Asia & Pacific. “We now look forward to a decision that will shape the future of food and biodiversity in Negros.”

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The opening of Terra Madre Asia & Pacific comes in the wake of two recent typhoons that struck parts of Negros Island, disrupting the lives of farmers and fisherfolk. While the region avoided the most severe impacts, many communities continue to face hardship, making the event’s timing especially significant. “Continuing with this gathering is essential,” emphasise Mukiibi and Uy. “Slow Food’s presence strengthens our community and supports local economies that urgently need revival. Terra Madre Asia & Pacific reminds the world that collective action is necessary before more natural disasters strike. There is no better platform to amplify the message of caring for our communities and ecosystems through food that is good, clean and fair.”

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