Bacolod SMILCE: A Bold Private-Sector Movement to Put Bacolod on the Global MICE Map

Bacolod SMILCE President, John Go of Roy’s Hotel and Convention

Table of Contents

Bacolod SMILCE: A Bold Private-Sector Movement to Put Bacolod on the Global MICE Map

What if Bacolod’s greatest advantage is not found in one hotel, one convention venue, one event organizer, or one tourism attraction—but in the collective strength of all of them working together?

That is the exciting opportunity behind Bacolod SMILCE, a new private-sector movement bringing together organizations from the tourism, hospitality, travel, events, accommodation, creative, and related industries with one shared ambition: to position Bacolod as a preferred SMILCE destination through integrated, end-to-end solutions.

SMILCE stands for Sports, Meetings, Incentives, Leisure, Conventions, and Exhibitions—six interconnected areas that can bring people, events, business, investment, and opportunities into Bacolod.

But Bacolod SMILCE is about more than attracting events. It is about building a destination that can deliver the complete experience.

A convention needs hotels, restaurants, transportation, tours, entertainment, event production, attractions, creative experiences, and professional services. A sporting event can bring athletes, families, organizers, and spectators who need places to stay, eat, explore, and experience the city. An incentive group can become an opportunity to showcase Bacolod’s food, culture, creativity, heritage, and hospitality.

When these capabilities are connected, the destination becomes stronger.

This is the spirit behind Bacolod SMILCE: private-sector organizations coming together with a unified vision to make Bacolod more competitive, more connected, and more prepared to welcome the world.

A Shared Vision | Bacolod SMILCE

Bacolod SMILCE is guided by a clear purpose:

“Position Bacolod as the preferred SMILCE destination through integrated end-to-end solutions.”

Its vision is equally ambitious:

“To be a globally recognized SMILCE destination driven by excellence and sustainability.”

Its mission is to:

“Unite the SMILCE industry, create economic opportunities, and elevate Bacolod as a destination.”

These are not simply statements on paper. They point toward a different way of looking at destination development—one where individual businesses become connected parts of a larger destination ecosystem.

The organization brings together private-sector players who can complement one another, create partnerships, develop opportunities, and collectively strengthen Bacolod’s value proposition.

Individually, they offer services. Together, they can create a destination.

The People Behind the Movement | Bacolod SMILCE

Bacolod SMILCE is led by President John Go of Roy’s Hotel and Convention, with Vice President Jojo Vito of Jojo Vito Designs Gallery – Bacolod, followed by Secretary Virna Tan of the Association of Tour Guides of Negros Occidental (ATON), Treasurer Atty. Pinky Mirano of PMO Events, represented by Citoy Tano during the induction, Auditor Zadhea Solinap of The Prod Team represented by Jason Tan, and Public Information Officer Femmy Lee Magbanua of Merzci. Its Board of Directors is composed of Johanna Taño of Psalm 91 Event Management Services, Greg Flores of Filipiniana Tours and Travel, Carlo Sto. Tomas of the Negros Island Travel Agencies and Tour Operators Association Inc., and Edelyn Yap of the Mabuhay Accommodation Alliance of Bacolod City.

Together, they represent a cross-section of the private sector that can contribute to the development of Bacolod as a competitive SMILCE destination.

Bacolod SMILCE Inducted at the Bacolod MICE Summit 2026

The formation of Bacolod SMILCE reached an important milestone during the Bacolod MICE Summit 2026, where the organization’s officers were formally inducted.

Held under the theme “Building Connections, Creating Opportunities: Strengthening Bacolod’s MICE Future,” the summit provided an ideal setting for the launch and formalization of an initiative built around exactly the same principle: bringing stakeholders together to create a stronger destination.

The summit opened with messages from Chief Tourism Operations Officer Ma. Teresa Q. Manalili, Vice Mayor Hon. Claudio Jesus Raymundo Puentevella, SP Committee Chairperson on Tourism Hon. Jason Isidro S. Villarosa, SP Committee Chairperson on Culture and Arts Hon. Em L. Ang, and City Mayor Hon. Greg G. Gasataya.

The discussions that followed focused on how Bacolod can strengthen its position as a competitive MICE destination and create greater opportunities for the city and its stakeholders.

Learning from Other Destinations

One of the first major discussions was “Building the Iloilo MICE Alliance,” featuring Natalie Lim, Chairperson of the Iloilo MICE Alliance and General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo.

The session provided an opportunity to look at how industry stakeholders can come together, organize themselves, and create a stronger collective approach to MICE development.

The summit then moved into “MICE to Meet the Future: Building Competitive Destinations,” with Lovelie D. Caridad, General Manager of Moonton Expo, Megaworld Corporation, as keynote speaker.

The message was timely: the future of destinations will depend not only on what they have, but on how effectively they connect their assets, industries, people, and services to meet changing market expectations.

Positioning Bacolod for Growth

The third major MICE topic, “Positioning Bacolod City as a Competitive MICE Destination: Opportunities and Strategic Directions for Growth,” was presented by Crisanta Marlene R. Rodriguez, Regional Director for Western Visayas/NIR of the Department of Tourism.

The discussion placed Bacolod’s opportunity within a broader destination-development perspective—looking at how the city can strengthen its competitiveness and maximize the opportunities presented by the growing MICE sector.

For Bacolod SMILCE, this direction aligns closely with its purpose: to create connections among private-sector capabilities and translate them into stronger destination solutions.

Listening to What Event Organizers Need

The summit also moved from presentations to dialogue through an Open Forum and Networking Lunch, followed by a fireside chat titled “What Event Organizers Need from a Destination.”

Representatives from hotels, event organizers, airlines, convention organizers, and other sectors participated in the discussion.

This was an important part of the summit because a competitive MICE destination must understand what organizers actually need.

Events are not simply about securing a venue. Organizers look for destinations that can provide accessibility, accommodation, food, transportation, experiences, entertainment, tours, production support, professional services, and seamless coordination.

This reinforces the importance of the SMILCE concept.

The stronger the connections among the city’s private-sector providers, the stronger the destination experience can become.

From Conversation to Commitment

The afternoon sessions moved toward building the organizational framework needed to turn ideas into action.

The Bacolod MICE Alliance Framework was presented, covering its vision, mission, membership structure, and programs.

This was followed by the adoption of the formed Bacolod SMILCE Board of Directors and the oath-taking ceremony with Mayor Greg Gasataya.

The summit culminated in the signing of a Commitment Wall, where stakeholders expressed their commitment to building Bacolod as a leading MICE destination.

The moment symbolized more than the creation of another organization.

It represented a growing willingness among stakeholders to work together, share opportunities, build partnerships, and contribute to a stronger destination ecosystem.

The Bigger Opportunity | Bacolod SMILCE

The potential of SMILCE goes far beyond conferences and meetings.

Sports can bring teams, athletes, families, and spectators.

Meetings can bring companies, organizations, and professionals.

Incentives can introduce visitors to Bacolod’s culture, food, creativity, and hospitality.

Leisure can encourage visitors to stay longer and explore more.

Conventions can generate significant demand for accommodation, dining, transportation, entertainment, and other services.

Exhibitions can create platforms for businesses, entrepreneurs, creatives, and industries to showcase their products and capabilities.

Every event can therefore become more than a single occasion.

It can become an economic opportunity that moves through the entire destination.

From Individual Businesses to One Destination

This is where the real promise of Bacolod SMILCE lies.

The organization can become a platform for collaboration, joint promotions, integrated packages, destination experiences, business partnerships, event support, and new opportunities that individual organizations may find difficult to create on their own.

It can help connect the dots.

A hotel can work with an event organizer. An event organizer can connect with a tour operator. A tour operator can work with attractions and guides. Creative enterprises can provide experiences and products. Restaurants, transportation providers, production teams, and other businesses can become part of the same visitor journey.

The result is a destination that becomes easier to choose, easier to experience, and more rewarding to visit.

A Bigger, Bolder Future for Bacolod

Bacolod already possesses many of the ingredients needed to become a strong SMILCE destination—hospitality, creativity, culture, food, events, tourism assets, business establishments, and a private sector willing to explore new possibilities.

What Bacolod SMILCE brings is an opportunity to connect these strengths under one unified vision.

The ambition is not simply to bring more events to Bacolod.

It is to make Bacolod a destination that event organizers want to choose, visitors want to experience, businesses want to participate in, and communities can benefit from.

It is about creating economic opportunities while strengthening the city’s identity and competitiveness.

And it is about looking beyond what Bacolod is today and imagining what it can become tomorrow.

Bacolod SMILCE is a private-sector movement built on that optimism.

A movement to build connections.

A platform to create opportunities.

A commitment to excellence and sustainability.

And a shared vision to elevate Bacolod into a globally recognized SMILCE destination.

One Industry. One Vision. One Destination.
Bacolod SMILCE—building connections, creating opportunities, and shaping a bigger future for Bacolod.