The Bacolod City Council has approved a resolution extending the special permit to the stall owners at the Bacolod public plaza, Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC), and The Upper East Megaworld for an additional period of four days from October 28 to 31, 2024.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the City Council committee on laws and ordinances, said they conducted a special session on Monday, October 28, to act on the request of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to extend the permit of the stall owners in the city's festival sites.
Due to the recent recent tropical storm "Kristine," he said the kiosk owners especially, at the public plaza requested the city officials to extend their permit so they can recover on their sales.
The mayor's letter addressed to Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and the members of the City Council dated October 27, 2024, stated that it is of public knowledge that heavy rainfall brought by the recent tropical storm "Kristine" had affected several programs and activities of the MassKara Festival resulting to low turn-out of people going to the festival site.
Benitez said among the most affected, are the stall owners at the public plaza.
The mayor also included in the request the temporary road closure on the affected roads for the same period.
Based on the report submitted by the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation it showed a total of 195 kiosks at the BCGC, 92 at the public plaza, and 43 at the Megaworld.
On Saturday, October 26, Benitez announced that the city extended the celebration of the MassKara Festival until October 31.
He said it has been done in the past that the city also extended the festival celebration due to heavy rains every October.
“ In this case, instead of October 27, we are extending it up to October 31 so that the food tenants or vendors will also be given a chance to recover on their sales because of the recent typhoon,” he added.
The mayor stressed that in lieu of the additional festival events, the city will distribute food vouchers amounting to P2.5 million, which it’s his personal donation, to aid the kiosk renters or vendors.
Benitez tasked the city councilors for the distribution of the food vouchers in various barangays especially, the residents who failed to go out during the highlights of the festival.
Espino said the vouchers will be distributed to various kiosk owners so they can recover their investment during the MassKara Festival celebration.
He said it's the personal money of the mayor to purchase the vouchers for the vendors.
He added the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office ( BTAO) will also implement a partial road closure for the same period./MAP.