CEBU CITY, Philippines — The owner of local restaurant Azul, which currently has the intellectual property rights of Tuslob Buwa has apologized to Barangays Pasil and Suba for the trademark.

Ian Sekong, the owner of Azul, said he did not mean to offend the residents of the two barangays where the culture of Tuslob Buwa started as a poor man’s dish characterized by dipping hanging rice into pig brain stew.

He said he only wanted to protect the culture by ensuring the trademark is owned by a Cebuano after similar dishes have now been served in other provinces such as Bohol and Davao.

“Mangayo kog pasensya sa Barangay Pasil ug Suba nga natumban ang ilang Kultura. Willing kaayo ko nga ibalik sa ilaha ang ngalan nga Tuslob Buwa,” said Sekong.

(I apologize to the constituents of Pasil and Suba if they felt we stepped on their culture. We are willing to return the name, Tuslob Buwa, to them.)

He clarified though that Azul went through the proper process of obtaining intellectual property rights and that upon applying for the trademark, there was no objection even after it was published in the Official Gazette.

After the backlash on Azul for the trademark, which was posted on their official Facebook page, Azul Cebu, the owner said he regrets taking ownership of the popular culture term without public consultation.

Councilor Eduardo Rama, Jr. reached out to Sekong after receiving complaints from Barangay Suba Captain Joel Sable and Barangay Pasil chief Julius Guiguio over the trademark.

After a series of negotiations, Sekong decided to legally transfer the rights of the trademark to Barangay Suba and Pasil with a request that Azul can still use the term for their food services.

Rama said the two barangays will be forming an organization or foundation, similar to the Sinulog Foundation Inc., to hold the rights over Tuslob Buwa since the two barangays celebrate the culture.

Barangay Suba celebrates the Tuslob Buwa Festival every January while Barangay Pasil celebrates it every September.

Sable and Guioguio said they are grateful for Azul’s cooperation, and both chiefs will no longer file charges against the restaurant.

Sable reminded the public that Tuslob Buwa has been a culture in Pasil and Suba since the 1950’s and cannot be owned by a single corporate entity.

“Ang Tuslob Buwa para sa tanang Cebuano og para sa taga Pasil ug Suba. (Tuslob Buwa is for all Cebuanos especially from Pasil and Suba),” he said. /rcg