NCCA recognizes chicken inasal as ‘cultural property’ of Bacolod

BACOLOD, Philippines – The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA) has recognized chicken inasal (grilled chicken) as a cultural property of Bacolod City.

Bacolod City Tourism Operations Officer Teresa Manalili made the announcement on Friday, May 24, during the 4th Chicken Inasal Festival along North Capitol Road in Bacolod City.

Manalili said that she received the message from the NCCA on Thursday night, May 23, hours before the start of the fiesta.

“It’s a message worth a celebration,” she said in front of the city officials and Department of Tourism Western Visayas chief Crisanta Marlene “Krisma” Rodriguez, as it promotes chicken inasal to the global scene.

Manalili acknowledged Councilor Em Ang, chairman of the city’s committee on history, culture and arts, as the prime mover behind the bid for chicken inasal’s recognition as the city’s cultural property. Ang authored City Ordinance (CO) 1012, series of 2022, or “Ordinance Declaring The Chicken Inasal as a Cultural Property of Bacolod City.”

Ang is the woman behind the Chicken Inasal Festival, which she conceptualized in 2018, 10 years after the 1st Bacolod Manokan Festival. The purpose of the festival is to “expand or scale one of Bacolod’s best delicacies” as a tangible cultural property.

“I am thankful that after almost six months of deliberations, the NCCA finally approved that chicken inasal is from Bacolod. Bacolod will not only be known as the Home of MassKara Festival, but of chicken inasal as well,” And said.

When Ang’s CO 1012 came out in the news two years ago, social media went abuzz as many claimed that chicken inasal is theirs and not Bacolod’s. Ang, however, thanked the NCCA for tracking and doing tedious inventory on the repository of all the records about chicken inasal.

Ang said anywhere you go in the Philippines, the delicious chicken inasal is always attributed to Bacolod.

“We are just waiting for the NCCA’s certification to come within these days so we can finally say that chicken inasal is now our very own identity,” she said, adding, “The NCCA’s certification is almost equivalent to the Guinness Book of World Records.”

At the opening of the 4th Chicken Inasal Festival themed: “Inasal Global,” three world-class menus using the Bacolod chicken inasal as a main ingredient were showcased to the public via a free tasting and beer pairing event. They were created by renowned chefs of three giant hotels in Bacolod and Iloilo.

These included the “Citrus Infuses Inasal abd Arancini Canape'” by Chef Allen Alber of L’Fisher Hotel-Bacolod, “Chicken Inasal Sliders” by Chef Diego Trillana of Park Inn By Radisson Iloilo and “Chicken Inasal de Capitolio” by Chef Edwin Infante of Seda Capitol Central Hotel in Bacolod.

Their menu creations were a fusion of chicken inasal and other organic ingredients within Western Visayas that makes Bacolod chicken inasal taste global, Manalili said. – Rappler.com