1st Inasal Festival: Bringing inasal to the world
Another festival is born.
Bacolod City is not just a City of Smiles, a home of the world-renown MassKara Festival, and the vibrant Bacolaodiat Festival of the Chinese community. The city is trying to put itself in the map of the world vying for the world record of the longest barbecue grill.
The Bacolod City government is in full gear towards the 1st Bacolod Inasal Festival that successfully opened last May 15, 2009 at the Manokan Country.
Vendors and stall owners at the Manokan Country including chicken growers and integrators have assured their full support and cooperation for the festival.
Bacolod City Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia conceptualized the birth of the Inasal Festival to introduce the Bacolodnons talent in grilling the most delectable chicken inasal in the world.
One of the objectives of the festival is for Bacolod to break the record of Dagupan City at the new Guinness Book of Records for the longest barbecue grill.
More than 15,000 heads of chicken from various suppliers will be grilled.
An estimated 5.8 kilometer continuous barbecue grilling at the festival site towards SM City North parking lot will be put up starting 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on May 19, 2009.
Members of the Geodetic Engineers of the Philippines, composed of highly, technically competent engineers with high moral standards and professionalism, will officially measure (in terms of length and distance) the barbecue grill for the certification to be submitted to the Guinness Book of Records.
The GMA Kapuso Network will conduct an aerial shot of the longest inasal grilling.
Free chicken inasal is set up for visitors and festival participants.
The city mayor’s idea will make way for Bacolod as the home of the tastiest chicken barbecue, thus, another tourist destination – Manokan Country is created for local and international tourists to visit frequently.
The hard work and dedication of Councilor Alex Paglumotan as Chairman of the 1st Inasal Festival Committee, is getting contagious as all participants including SM City and some private entities are giving their untiring support to the festival.
Posthumous awards were given to the major players who founded Manokan Country such as Raymundo Dizon Jr., Wilmar Drilon, John orola Jr., Rolando Estrella, Norberto Tarroza, Architect Prospero Leonardia, Francisco “Tyoy Tikoy” Barona, Digoy Montalvo, Vicente Jaranilla and Mayor Bing Leonardia. Special citations were given to Coca-cola Bottlers Phils. and San Miguel Corp.
Governor Isidro Zayco was the festival’s guest of honor during the opening.
The Inasal Festival is another Bacolod’s first that will not just activate and revive a strong economic activity at the Manokan Country and the good taste of Bacolodnon in culinary aspect, but it will bring fame and honor to the city as it will create another first-class image in the Tourism Industry.