In Bacolod, a fiesta means every door is open, and every table has room for one more

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Mountain Dew’s “DEW It sa Pista: Sugod-Fiesta Edition” celebrates the tradition that turns every handaan into a barangay-wide feast.

VIA GRAPHIC PLUS — When fiesta season arrives in Bacolod, the celebration stretches far beyond the streets.

Yes, there are parades, performances, and plenty of chicken inasal. But for many Negrenses, the real celebration happens at home. During fiesta season, families throw their doors open to relatives, neighbors, friends, and even first-time visitors. It’s not unusual to be invited in for a plate of food, a cold drink, and a few stories around the table.

It’s this uniquely Filipino tradition of welcoming guests into one’s home that Mountain Dew celebrates in its latest creator campaign, DEW It sa Pista: Sugod-Fiesta Edition.

River Joseph, Ninong Ry, Dustin Yu, and Nisa Nuggets enjoy a toast inside a local Bacolod home as they embrace DEW It sa Pista Sugod-Fiesta Edition

Set during the Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival, the campaign follows food creator Ninong Ry alongside “Barangay Captain” Nisa Nuggets, River Joseph, and Dustin Yu, a.k.a. the Tropang DEWds, as they trade the usual festival route for something more personal: real Bacolod homes. Instead of simply sampling festival favorites, the Tropang DEWds experienced Bacolod’s house-to-house fiesta tradition firsthand. They shared home-cooked meals with Negrense families, heard the stories behind each handaan, and discovered how one family’s dining table can quickly become a gathering place for the entire barangay.

A spread of grilled inasal, home-cooked dishes, and Mountain Dew comes together for another authentic Bacolod fiesta feast

Keeping the tropa refreshed at every stop is an ice-cold bottle of Mountain Dew. Its signature Bangis ng Citrus cuts through the rich, smoky flavors of grilled inasal and other hearty fiesta favorites, making it the perfect meal companion for second (and even third) helpings as conversations around the table keep flowing.

“Iba talaga ang fiesta ng Pilipino. Diyan nagsasama-sama ang pamilya, tropa, at buong barangay sa isang handaan. Diyan nabubuo ang samahan! At siyempre, mas masarap ang kwentuhan at kainan kapag may ice-cold Mountain Dew na kasama,” said Ninong Ry.

While the Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival is still relatively young—first launched in 2018 before returning in 2023 after the pandemic—it has quickly grown into one of the city’s biggest celebrations of food and community. Beyond the cook-offs, performances, and street festivities, it’s also a celebration of the traditions that happen around family tables, where everyone is welcome to join the feast.

For Mountain Dew, that sense of community is exactly what makes Bacolod the perfect setting for DEW It sa Pista.

“The energy of the Inasal Festival, the warmth of every home that opened its doors to us, and the meals shared around every table are what inspired this campaign. We wanted to celebrate that uniquely Filipino tradition of welcoming guests with open arms and show how Mountain Dew naturally becomes part of those moments,” said Katrina Suarez, PH Carbonated Soft Drink Lead.

Through DEW It sa Pista: Sugod-Fiesta Edition, Mountain Dew invites Filipinos to look beyond the festival stage and experience the moments that make Bacolod’s fiesta culture unforgettable. Because for Filipinos, a great fiesta isn’t measured by how many people were invited—it’s measured by how many people found a seat at the table.

Started in 1927, the Philippines Graphic is the longest-running printed magazine of national circulation that provides relevant news and features and promotes Philippine literature.

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