The 45th MassKara Festival will be extended four more days until Oct. 31 to give more time for Bacolodnons to enjoy the celebration.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez also announced over the weekend that he is donating PHP2.5 million worth of food vouchers to allow food kiosks and other tenants the opportunity to earn more after the inclement weather due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine adversely affected their sales in the past week.
“We don’t want the storm to happen. It’s beyond our control but we understand. This has been done in the past. The festivities were also extended when there were typhoons and rains so we’re doing the same thing,” Benitez said in an interview after the opening of the Electric MassKara Float and Elektroika Diva competitions at Bacolod City Government Center Saturday night.
City councilors will coordinate the distribution of the food vouchers.
“They can give these out to those who were not able to go around the festival sites. We will try to give it out as widespread as possible,” Benitez said.
The MassKara Festival’s Sapphire Edition was originally set Oct. 12 to 27, to culminate with the Street Dance and Arena Competition on Sunday afternoon.
Republic Act 11146, which declares June 18, 1938 as the Charter Day of Bacolod, also provides that the highlights of the MassKara Festival shall be held every fourth Sunday of October.
The mayor said the festivities will continue until Thursday in three sites only – Bacolod Public Plaza, Bacolod City Government Center and Megaworld’s The Upper East.
Events in the fourth festival site along Lacson St., one of the major thoroughfares in the city, will end after Sunday midnight.
Benitez said he requested the City Council to hold a special session on Monday to approve the partial closure of roads in the three festival sites from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Based on the turnout of revelers before last week, this year’s MassKara Festival is “relatively, one for the books again.”
“The crowds were record-breaking during the opening weekend. When it comes to peace and order, no major crimes have been reported,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Saphirrus-inspired float of Barangay 29, designed by Jovic Gordillo and John Joseph Suarnaba, was declared the grand winner of the Electric MassKara Float competition.
Led by village chief Leonard Pascua, Barangay 29 received a cash prize of PHP300,000.
Barangay Pahanocoy and Barangay 17 were first and second runners-up, taking home PHP200,000 and PHP150,000, respectively.
Nikka Marie Peñol of Barangay 39 was Elektroika Diva and received a cash prize of PHP75,000
First runner-up Ashley Nicole Belnas of Barangay 29 took home PHP30,000 while second runner-up Althea Judema of Barangay Pahanocoy got PHP25,000. (PNA)