ON DECEMBER 13, members of the Bacolod media, including myself, were invited to a cooking contest in Victorias City, Negros Occidental. The event was part of the city’s annual Kalamayan Festival, a celebration of Victorias’ sweet heritage as the “Sweet Greens” of Negros Occidental.
The cooking competition, however, was no ordinary affair. It was sponsored by Victorias Milling Company (VMC), Asia’s biggest sugar refinery. Yet, the spotlight was not on sugar, but on VMC’s subsidiary.
For decades, Victorias Food Corporation has been known for its Spanish-style sardines, hot bangus, luncheon meat, and ham. Against this backdrop, the cooking showdown made perfect sense as a showcase of evolution.
Student contestants were challenged to create food menus – and they delivered. They came up with the following dishes:
* Black rice with kebab
* Potato croquette
* Pizettas
* Twist taco
* Ham and bacon veggietortang gulay
* Creamy ham and mushroom java rice
These dishes are not yet found in restaurants or carinderias. They were all conceptualized and created on the spot.
Beyond the Contest
The cooking showdown, held as part of the Kalamayan Festival, has now entered its third year. But beyond being a competition, its deeper purpose is to discover food creations that could eventually form part of Victorias Food Corporation’s culinary legacy — and, in time, Negros Occidental’s food heritage. The corporation itself was established in the 1970s.
Negros Occidental is not only known as the “Sugar Bowl” of the Philippines. It has also emerged as a food destination, boasting heirloom recipes that cannot be found or tasted elsewhere in the country.
Bacolod City’s cansi — a sour beef shank bulalo — is one such dish. Sagay City’s famous Enting’s kinilaw nga isda is another. Silay City’s Emma Roa lechon also belongs to that list.
Add to these the bicho-bicho of Talisay City, Silay’s guaple (guava and apple) pie, steamed blue crabs of E.B. Magalona, fried paka (frogs) of Don Salvador Benedicto, and many more.
‘Rings a Bell’
Like its mother company VMC — founded by the late Don Miguel J. Osorio on May 7, 1919 — Victorias Food Corporation has carved a niche not only in the food business, but also in food tourism. Its products have become sought-after pasalubong items and are often featured in high-profile events. For more than five decades, the firm — now part of the Lucio Tan–led VMC group — has mastered the art of producing quality food products.
That defining identity truly “rings a bell” across Negros Island, giving Victorias City something to be genuinely proud of.
A Promise That Stands Forever
Listening to Victorias Food Corporation president Linley Retirado during an ambush interview with local media, one can sense that producing quality food products — beyond sugar — remains a firm and enduring commitment of the company.
It is an unwavering promise worth noting. Just as VMC continues to stand tall and relevant in Negros Occidental’s economy at 106 years old, Victorias Food Corporation has proven its staying power for more than 50 years. Its products have long become household names, not only locally but in other parts of the world.
Negros’ Pride
Thus, every menu created during the cooking competition can be considered a “signature dish” — not just for Victorias City, but for the entire province.
Each dish carries a sense of Negros pride, forming a legacy that goes beyond taste.
Maintaining quality in food production is no joke; it is vital to business and identity. In a nutshell, Negros Occidental is fortunate to have Victorias Food Corporation – an institution that continues to drive food tourism, preserve culinary heritage, and create excellence through innovation in the modern era.
Allow me to borrow the words of Louise Ottilie Fresco, a Dutch scientist and writer known for her work on sustainable global food systems. She once said: “Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It’s not about nutrients and calories. It’s about sharing. It’s about honesty. It’s about identity.”
In this sense, Victorias Food Corporation has succeeded in its mission — creating an identity through quality by producing food that truly matters to every Filipino./PN
