Bacolod all set for MassKara
BACOLOD CITY—This city is ready to hold this year’s edition of its famed MassKara Festival, which has been drawing thousands of locals and domestic and foreign visitors.
The 19-day festival, which was launched on Sept. 13, will run from Oct. 1 to Oct. 19 with the theme “One Smile, One City, One Heart.”
The festival was born in 1980 to ease the collective grief of Negrenses following a severe economic crisis caused by the collapse of the sugar industry and the sinking of the Bacolod-bound MV Don Juan that had left over a hundred dead and missing.
The festival’s masks, representing the many “happy faces” of Negrenses, have since evolved into a festivity that fosters optimism, resilience and unity and which showcases the talent and creativity of Bacolodnons, said Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya.
He noted that Bacolod is once again faced with another tragedy—the fire that left close to 1,000 residents homeless in Barangay 27 on Sept. 12.
As in the past, he was confident people will rise again because of the support of everyone, not just from the government, but also from the private sector, Gasataya said.
Competition
For this year’s celebration, 10 barangays and seven elementary schools in this city will be competing in the arena and street dance competitions. Participants in the schools category will perform on Oct. 18, and the battle of the barangays will be held on Oct. 19, said Bhadz Defensor, chair of the arena and street dance competitions.
This year’s competitions will begin with the arena performances at the Paglaum Sports Complex, before the contingents will dance on the streets, according to Nestor Guilaran Jr., director of the arena and dance competition.
“Instead of starting in the streets and ending in the arena, we begin at the Paglaum Sports Complex where contingents showcase their full performances, then bring the same energy to the streets,” explained festival director Rodney Ascalon.
To support the participants, the Bacolod city government provided a subsidy of P750,000 for each barangay and P500,000 for each school. The subsidies must be liquidated to ensure transparency and accountability, said Ascalon.
