After a three-year respite due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Panaad sa Negros, the festival of all festivals in Negros Occidental, will return on April 17 to 23.

Provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said yesterday the provincial government would launch the festival on February 13 at the Capitol Lagoon and Park in Bacolod City.

“The province has set aside P25 million that has already been allocated to major expenditures,” Diaz told reporters.

The provincial government will also provide financial assistance to the local government units, he said.

Aside from the traditional festival dances competition and the Lin-ay Sang Negros beauty pageant as among the major activities, this year’s festival will introduce an event called the “Best of Negros Products.”

“It will feature winners with national, regional and provincial qualifications for food and non-food products. They will be showcased with their awards and products,” Diaz said.

In 2020, the provincial government cancelled the staging of the 27th Panaad sa Negros Festival amid the threat of Covid-19.

Named after the Hiligaynon word for “vow” or “promise,” the Panaad sa Negros will showcase the 32 themed pavilions of each city and municipality of the province, including its capital Bacolod, designed either as replicas of their own municipal or city hall, or their famous products at the Panaad Park and Stadium in the city’s Barangay Mansilingan. (PNA)