A heritage dish of Sagay City, Negros Occidental has been declared the grand winner in the nationwide “Pinasarap” competition of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP).

Called “Ginataan Nga Ugbos Sang Balinghoy na May Banag”, the winning entry is made with locally-harvested ingredients from the village of Colonia Divina.

“We are proud of our rich culture especially from Barangay Colonia Divina,” Mayor Alfredo Marañon III said in a statement on Thursday.

ATOP announced the winners on Wednesday as part of its 21st National Convention themed “PinasForward! Let’s move as one to revitalize our country’s tourism industry”.

“Sagay’s Pinasarap dish captures the cultural heritage of Colonia Divina. This dish is made with a few ingredients but comes together beautifully,” ATOP said on its Facebook page.

The dish has banag or suso (freshwater snails) cooked in coconut milk (ginataan) and pounded young leaves of cassava (ugbos sang balinghoy) with lemongrass, string beans, ginger, onion, and garlic.

The Negrense food was featured in the short film entry of Colonia Divina Integrated School’s Lente Films led by director John Argiel Laurente Victor in last year’s “Diri sa Sagay! Tourism Shorts Festival”.

Marañon said that showcasing Sagaynon food is part of the city’s efforts to discover its heritage and history through cultural mapping and filmmaking.

“We thank them for bringing so much pride to our city as their entry bested those from other towns and cities all over the country,” he added.

ATOP said the dishes submitted for “Pinasarap” gave “a look into the various recipes and preparation methods that have been passed down from generation to generation that best represents the cultural heritage of each locality.”

The municipality of Lucban, Quezon was first runner-up with its dish called “Hardinera” while San Pablo City, Laguna was the second runner-up for “Ginataang Hipon Palakpakin at Pinayte”. (PNA)