Where various pots and pans dominated the Asia-Pacific’s first-ever Terra Madre, the Department of Tourism – Region III’s booth on November 22, 2025, drew large crowds of curious spectators with its unconventional display— bamboo cups, bamboo cutlery, and long stalks of bamboo filled with rice and viands.

Donning traditional Aeta attire, Mr. Pelargon Serrano and Mr. Glenn Serrano from the Aeta community of Porac, Pampanga demonstrated the binulu, an indigenous cooking method utilizing the bamboo culm (bulu) as cookware, sharing with Bacolodnons and Terra Madre delegates alike the distinctly fresh flavors of rice served in banana leaves, native chicken, and soup straight from the bulu.

The duo, armed with wooden bows and arrows, performed a head-turning exhibition of the traditional cooking technique from start to finish, beginning with hunting and firemaking, and culminating with a traditional dance believed to drive away bad spirits.

Visitors braved 40-minute queues for a bite of slow-cooked, aromatic binulu, and the chance to take home handcrafted bamboo cutlery and dishware.

The binulu demonstration is the Department of Tourism – Region III’s proud contribution to the Slow Food advocacy of the inaugural Terra Madre Asia & Pacific in Bacolod City, highlighting the region’s invaluable connection to food, nature, and culture. The five-day event also saw local and international guests enjoying samples of Diosdado Restaurant’s kilayin on the first day, and three-hour long lines for the legendary Aling Lucing Sisig throughout.