Benitez: ‘2024 MassKara Festival will be one of the most exciting festivals in Bacolod’

WORLD-CLASS PERFORMERS. The MassKara Festival dancers of Barangay Granada, Bacolod City, showcase Pinoy pride as one of the performers in the 2024 Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade in Hong Kong on Saturday night (Feb. 10, 2024). The Bacolod delegation represented Southeast Asia in the event upon the invitation of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
WORLD-CLASS PERFORMERS. The MassKara Festival dancers of Barangay Granada, Bacolod City, showcase Pinoy pride as one of the performers in the 2024 Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade in Hong Kong on Saturday night (Feb. 10, 2024). The Bacolod delegation represented Southeast Asia in the event upon the invitation of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.Bacolod City Tourism Office photo
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“I am happy to announce and happy to say that over the next three festivals, the 2024 MassKara Festival will be one of the most exciting festivals in the city.”

This was stressed by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez as he officially opened the festival on Friday evening, October 11, the Grand Countdown Salubong at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC).

The Grand Countdown Salubong was also attended by Congressman Greg Gasataya and the members of the City Council with a crowd of 45, 000 based on the data provided by the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to the organizer of the festival, the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation.

Benitez said MassKara Festival was the very first biggest celebration festival in the country right after the COVID-19 pandemic, that was in 2022, and since then, MassKa Festival has become the choice festival to go to in the Philippines.

“We have the whole three weeks celebration of the festival with full of activities and surprises,” he said.

Gasataya also expressed his gratitude to all the Bacolodnons who joined the Grand Salubong of this year’s Sapphire edition of the MassKara Festival.

“Let’s give all our efforts because we know that this MassKara Festival will bring a big help in the city in terms of economy as well as the entertainment for the people of Bacolod,” Gasataya said.  

The celebration featured various colorful dance performances, games, local bands, and the presentation of Miss Bacolod MassKara.

Popular pop-rock band December Avenue serenades the jampacked crowd setting the tone for the annual celebration.

The crowd became even more excited when the popular OPM band performed their hit songs, including Dahan, Eroplanong Papel, Kung ’Di Rin Lang Ikaw, Sa Ngalan ng Pag-Ibig, and Bulong.

To maintain the peace and order of the festival, BCPO deployed at least 1,828 security personnel to secure the 45th edition of the MassKara Festival, which will run from October 12 to 27.

BCPO already received the first batch of augmentation personnel from PRO-6, which is composed of 523 personnel.

The second batch of the augmentation personnel will be deployed on October 21.

Policemen were deployed in various areas, especially in the identified festival sites, such as Bacolod City Public Plaza, Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC), Lacson Strip, and Megaworld's The Upper East.

Colonel Joeresty Coronica, director of BCPO, said this year’s festival had a bigger crowd due to the expanded festival site to include the newly-opened carnival at the BCGC area.

“We hope this month-long event will end peacefully and successfully. We are asking people to cooperate and be vigilant while enjoying the festival,” he said.

He said that they expect a “zero fatality” for this year’s festival. /MAP

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