THE Estefania Elementary School in Bacolod City was declared champion in the 46th MassKara Street and Arena Dance Competition School Category held at the Paglaum Sports Complex and Bacolod public plaza on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
This victory marks their second consecutive win since the last competition in 2019.
Estefania Elementary School also bagged special awards as Best in Music, Best in Theme and Concept, and the Kapuso Choice Award.
Paglaum Village Elementary School was the first runner-up and won the special awards as Best in Introduction Video, Best in Community Dance, Most Disciplined Contingent, and Sunsilk Hairkada Head-Turner Award.
Asuncion L. Lizares Elementary School (ALLES) was the second runner-up and won special awards as Best in Mask, Headdress, Costume, and Pocari Sweat Award.
The champion school received P750,000 in cash prize and P20,000 from DITO Telecom, while first and second runners-up also received P300,000, P200,000 in cash prizes, and P10,000 and P5,000 from DITO Telecom, respectively.
They also received trophies and for the special awards, winners received P30,000.
In the Merry Making Competition, ALLES was declared champion, followed by Estefania Elementary School and Paglaum Village Elementary School as first and second runners-up, respectively.
This year’s competition started with arena performances at the Paglaum Sports Complex followed by a street dance towards the Bacolod public plaza.
Other participating schools include Don Rodolfo A. Medel Sr. Elementary School, Rizal Elementary School, Andres Bonifacio Elementary School II, and Education and Training Center School I (ETCS I).
Each participating school received P500,000 in subsidies from the City Government to cover production costs, which are subject to liquidation for accountability.
Despite the heavy rainfall, all participants performed well and stayed at the Bacolod public plaza for the announcement of winners.
Mayor Greg Gasataya also announced that all participating contingents will receive P150,000 each as a participation incentive.
The mayor praised the young dancers for their resilience and spirit.
"Thank you for carrying our story on your shoulders, even when the mask grows heavy, even when the rain seeps through your costume, and the music feels a little too fast for tired feet," Gasataya said.
He said: "While others see only the colors and confetti, we see you breathing hard behind a smile you refuse to drop, holding the line between performance and devotion. You are keeping a piece of Bacolod’s heart beating."
In the smiles that bloom in others because of their performances, he added the participants honor the ones who first put on a mask when the city was grieving, when smiling felt impossible.
"Yet, they danced. Today, you do the same -- choosing joy even when it hurts, choosing pride even when the weight on your head feels too much, and choosing to represent a people who rise, again and again," Gasataya said.
To every dancer who stood in the rain and still lifted their head with pride, he said their efforts will never be taken for granted.
"We see your sacrifice, we feel the weight you carry, and we stand with you as a people who know the strength it takes beneath that mask. If you can carry the spirit of Bacolod in every beat, then we, as your city, will carry you in every way we can. We move forward together. We lift together. We rise together - because we are stronger together," he added.
Festival Director Rodney Ascalon also said that the format change aimed to create a more engaging showcase of both arena and street performances.
“We wanted to give equal spotlight to both parts of the competition,” Ascalon said.
By starting at the Paglaum Sports Complex, he said they allowed the contingents to perform their full routines before carrying that same excitement into the streets for everyone to enjoy.
Meanwhile, Barangay Mansilingan also shone the brightest as they clinched the championship title in the Electric MassKara float parade and dance-off competition on Friday, October 17, which drew a crowd of over 2,000 amid the heavy downpour.
It bested 11 other participating barangays, taking home a prize check of P350,000 with a float motif showcasing “Cakes of Bacolod.”
The float parade started from The Upper East by Megaworld towards the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) grounds, illuminating the streets with vibrant floats and colorful costumes.
Denver Diocson, Barangay Mansilingan choreographer, said winning the competition is a great pride for their group because they only rehearsed for a week.
“We had a lot of struggles and a very short preparation time. We’re really happy to have secured the championship,” he said.
Barangay Mansilingan also bagged special awards as Best in Float, Best in Mask and Costume, and Best in Music.
Barangay 12 secured a second-runner up and received P200,000, while Barangay Granada took the third runner-up spot, winning P150,000, and also won a special award as the Most Disciplined barangay.
They also received trophies and for the special awards, winners received P30,000.
Other participants include Barangays 2, 5, 8, 17, 19, 32, 33, 34, and Cabug.
The floats were categorized into three themes that align with this year’s official festival theme: “One Smile”, featuring Bacolod's famous festivals; “One City”, exhibiting iconic landmarks; and “One Heart,” celebrating well-loved delicacies and cuisines.
Barangay Mansilingan Chieftain Franz Tionko also expressed her gratitude to her constituents.
“I’m just really grateful to everyone, to the efforts of all employees, to all the times of sleeping late and waking up early, to all our workers who cooperated to make this possible,” she said. (MAP)