A giant pasta centerpiece, featuring 16 unique flavors and nearly 2,400 kilos of pasta, will be the star of this year’s Hotel and Restaurant Tourism (HRT) Month celebration, as the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) aims to boost the city’s appeal as a culinary and tourism hub.

The event, set on Oct. 2 at the SM City Baguio Atrium, is part of the 18th HRT Month and the 16th National Food Showdown.

It will gather hotels and restaurants in Baguio to offer locals and visitors both a visual and gastronomic experience.

This private initiative, according to Anthony de Leon, president of the HRAB and general manager of the Baguio Country Club, is aimed at helping promote the city by giving the tourists a variety of attractions to see.

He said that during the past 18 years of celebrating the HRT, they have staged several unique attractions and events like the giant wedding cake, record-breaking raisin bread and longanisa, and other food displays served free to the public.

Unlike Guinness World Record attempts, de Leon said, the focus is on creating shared experiences.

“We are not vying for a Guinness Record because that entails funds and we would rather use the funds for activities that the public will have fun being a part of by having a bite or a photo with the centerpiece,” he added.

This year’s feast will include longanisa hamonado pasta, tuna spicy sardines pasta, pesto, spaghetti Bolognese, and other dishes prepared in trays measuring 12 feet by 4 feet and 6 inches deep.

Each tray will hold at least 150 kilos of pasta, with costs of PHP60,000 to PHP80,000 shouldered by participating establishments.

The servings are expected to feed around 15,000 people.

Executive chef Art Nucasa of the Baguio Country Club said each restaurant was given creative leeway with sauces but had to meet the pasta requirement.

Among the establishments joining are El Cielito, John Hay Hotels, Le Monet, Sotto Grande, Orchard Hotel, The Other Office, Hill Station, Lafayette, Crown Legacy, and Baguio Country Club.

Beyond the pasta spectacle, the HRT Month celebration will also host culinary and service competitions for students and professionals nationwide, with participants coming from as far as the Visayas, Mindanao, and Cagayan Valley.

“The competitions highlight not just skills and creativity but also the spirit of learning and collaboration within the hospitality industry,” Nucasa added. (PNA)