A Negrense Christmas on the table

For public relations professional Treena Tecson, the flavors of Bacolod and Sagay - from lechon to Black Sambo — carry the memories of family and tradition

- By FELICIANO RODRIGUEZ III

As the holiday rush settles into the final weeks of November, the country edges closer to the heart of what is widely called the world's longest Christmas season.

Carols fill the malls, parols brighten windows, and households begin preparing the dishes that will anchor their Noche Buena tables. The celebration stretches across the archipelago, yet the spotlight often falls on Manila and Luzon, leaving many regional stories untold.

This feature turns to Negros Occidental, where Christmas is shaped by the flavors of Bacolod and Sagay. It is a perspective rooted in memory and tradition, told through the experiences of public relations professional Treena Cueva Tecson, whose own holidays were defined by dishes that carried her family's history.

Treena grew up in Negros Occidental before establishing a career in lifestyle and hospitality public relations in Manila. She is also the founder of True Chocolate PH, established in 2017, and one of the country's leading voices in chocolate and cacao. A Certified Chocolate Taster with Level 1 and 2 certifications from the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting, she also holds a Certificate in Cacao Evaluation and Flavor Profiling. Her work as a chocolate maker and cacao evaluator, along with her role as a National Cacao Judge for the Cacao of Excellence Awards, has made her a passionate advocate for Philippine cacao and craft chocolate, as well as an active member of the Philippine Cacao Industry Association.

Yet when Christmas approaches, the flavors she longs for remain the same ones she grew up with. For her, the taste of a Negrense Christmas is inseparable from memory.