BAGUIO CITY – Local tourism industry stakeholders urged the public to support the upcoming ‘Rice and Shine 3.0’ which is the highlight of the 17th edition of the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Week that will be held at the SM City Baguio on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
Anthony de Leon, general manager of the Baguio Country Club (BCC) and president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB), said that the public will have a chance to partake of the more than 10 flavors of fried rice that will be presented by the eight participating establishments to jumpstart the month-long festivities initiated by the local tourism industry.
He disclosed that the fried rice that will be presented is capable of feeding some 15,000 to 16,000 people which is similar to the previous staging of the event that will significantly contribute in boosting the sustained growth of the city’s tourism industry following the dipping of the so-called revenge travel.
The BCC official claimed that the ‘Rice and Shine 3.0’ will jumpstart the numerous events lined up for the annual celebration and will serve as a tribute to the country’s rice farmers who are doing their best to ensure food on the table for the Filipinos and to provide people with the chance to partake of the best sellers of the participating establishments, especially in terms of fried rice.
The participating food establishments with their corresponding fried rice offerings are the Baguio Country Club and Fairways and Greens Bed and Breakfast – Hainanese and adobo rice, Mario’s and Hill Station – Cajun jambalaya and paella rice, Hotel Supreme – beef pares and binagoongan rice, Alabanza – pork recado and hamonado rice, The Camp John Hay Manor – toyo and lechon kawali rice, Orchard – paella and yang chow rice and City Lights – kiniing and pinuneg rice.
BCC executive chief Art Nukaza said that the assorted fried rice will be placed in a pizza-like pan with a diameter of 28 feet and a height of one meter where each of the participating establishments will be placing their flavors of fried rice within a space having a dimension of 8.5 feet by 14 feet within the said pan.
He added that each of the participating food establishments will be needing three up to three and one-half sacks of rice for their designated flavors of fried rice.
According to him, HRAB will be providing pre-heating gadgets that will be placed under the pan to ensure that the fried rice will warm while being served during the activity.
For his part, HRAB chairman Jefferson Ng of Hotel Supreme urged the public to support the presentation and serving of the assorted flavors of fried rice for them to have a first-hand experience on the quality of services and food being served by the hospitality industry stakeholders in the city.
Last year, the HRAB used as a centerpiece the Largest Wedding Cake which was on its fourth edition that coincided with the conduct of a mass wedding to spice up the activity.
The annual staging of the HRT Weekend is a purely private sector initiative that is geared towards enticing visitors to consider spending their vacation in the country’s undisputed Summer Capital.
From the week-long festivities in the previous years, HRAB decided to extend the activities every weekend of October to ensure that there will be an influx of participants and visitors to join and witness the competitors who will be showcasing their skills and talents in the more than 60 events subject to competition of the gathering.
HRAB is composed of representatives from the various hospitality industry stakeholders in the city who bonded together to help boost the growth of the local tourism industry. By Dexter A. See
