BACOLOD City – The city government has extended the Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival (BCIF) 2025 for one more night on May 26, allowing kiosks at The Upper East-Megaworld to remain open following heavy rains that disrupted sales over the weekend.
Originally slated to culminate on Sunday, May 25, the festival — celebrating Bacolod’s iconic chicken inasal fused with culinary creativity, culture, and community spirit — kicked off on May 21 across three major sites: The Upper East, SM City Bacolod, and Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
However, heavy rainfall on May 24 and 25 significantly affected the sales of kiosk vendors, especially at The Upper East location.
“I’m sure grabe gid ang down sang sales nila (kiosks) didto (The Upper East),” said Councilor Celia Flor, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on markets. “That’s why they requested an additional night at The Upper East due to heavy rains.”
The city had set a target of selling 3,000 chicken inasal servings across the three festival locations. Flor said she is currently conducting an inventory of all participating kiosks, including those at Manokan Country located in the SM City Bacolod’s Parking Hub, to determine whether the target has been met.
Despite the weather setbacks, the councilor said the festival has been generally successful, with no untoward incidents reported and all scheduled activities proceeding as planned.
On the other hand, the declared winners in the Arena Dance Competition held on May 25 are the following:
* 1st Place – Barangay Mansilingan
* 2nd Place – Barangay Mandalagan
* 3rd Place – Barangay Tangub
Other participating barangays included Estefania, Cabug, Barangay 29, and Barangay Bata.
Moreover, on May 25, the Bacolod Tourism Development Office (BTDO), the lead organizer of this year’s festivities, held an awarding ceremony honoring outstanding individuals and institutions in the fields of food, service, tourism partnerships, and community engagement.
The theme for BCIF 2025 was “Fire and Fusion,” reflecting the fiery flavors of Bacolod’s signature grilled dish and the vibrant fusion of tradition and innovation that defines the city’s festival spirit./PN
