BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said Monday he will ask the City Council to set the celebration of MassKara Festival every third Sunday of October.
The 37th MassKara Festival was held from October 1 to 23, the longest celebration so far.
There were reports of confusion among some revelers because last year, the festival was celebrated until October 19 only.
“We are talking now that MassKara Festival belongs to the rest of the world, and the people are preparing in advance,” he said.
The mayor cited that in previous years, October 19 was celebrated as a Charter Day.
“But we discovered that October 19 is not the right date, it is June 18,” he said.
Leonardia reiterated that the Charter Day of Bacolod should be held on June 18 instead of October 19, based on the correct date in the documents signed by President Manuel L. Quezon.
‘No hall of fame’
Meanwhile, festival director Eli Francis Tajanlangit Monday said that Barangay Granada can still join in next year’s street and arena dance competition even after being champion for three consecutive years in barangay category.
Tajanlangit said Barangay Granada itself declared that they they’re now in the “Hall of Fame” like Barangay Villamonte, which after winning three times, stopped joining.
“There is no ‘Hall of Fame’ in the MassKara Festival. It’s the chieftain of Barangay Granada who decided among themselves to proclaim a hall of famer," he said.
Tajanlangit added: “There is no such thing as a ‘Hall of Fame.’ We would prefer them to continue participating so they will be the bench mark and the rest of the barangay will compare themselves to them and strive for excellence.”
Proclaiming a “hall of famer” is a recipe for mediocrity, he said.
If Barangay Granada will join again next year, they will be the last performer as a defending champion.
‘Generally peaceful’
Senior Superintendent Flynn Dongbo, acting city director of Bacolod City Police (BCPO), Monday said the staging of the 37th MassKara Festival was generally peaceful.
Dongbo said the festival concluded with zero casualty and no major incidents reported.
Some petty crimes were reported but there were no MassKara-related incidents that happened, Dongbo added.
Only one stabbing incident at the public plaza involving minors was reported during the 23-day festival.
About 700 policemen and augmentation personnel were deployed to different festival sites to ensure the safety of MassKara revelers.
Dongbo said he is thankful for the cooperation of all the police forces, Philippine Army, force multipliers, and other augmentation personnel that contributed to the peaceful celebration.
He also cited the well-managed traffic rerouting plans of Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) which ensured the smooth flow of the traffic.