By Mae Singuay
The Bacolod Yuhum Foundation (BYF) has assured this year’s MassKara Festival would be bigger, brighter, better, bolder despite limiting the participating barangays in the Electric and Street Dance competitions.
The organizer has also shortened the festivities’ number of days and activities to avoid losses.
Mate Espina, BYF’s public relations head, during the organizer’s press presentation on Saturday, August 26, said only 10 barangays would participate in the Street and Arena Dance Competition from last year’s 17 participants.
For the Electric MassKara, now called the MassKara Elektrika Diva and Electric Float Parade Competition, from 14 participants last year, this has been reduced to 10.
“As announced earlier, we will limit the number of entrants to this year’s Street Dance and Arena Competition, but with a promise that it will even be bigger, brighter, better, and bolder,” Espina said.
The 10 confirmed entries are Barangays 21, 34, 40, Cabug, Granada, Handumanan, Mansilingan, Sum-ag, Tangub, and Vista Alegre.
Barangays 5, 12, 14, 18, 19, 24, 32, Bata, Felisa, and Singcang-Airport will participate in the Electric MassKara contest.
Espina said that last year, P500,000 was extended to each participating barangay as subsidy, of which, P300,000 came from the foundation and P200,000 from the city government.
“This year, we are giving a much higher subsidy of P750,000 to each barangay joining in the street and arena dance competition with, of course, the expectation that the performances will even be grander,” she added.
The subsidy for the Electric MassKara will be P300,000 for each barangay. Last year, it was only P150,000.
Espina said there are also corporate floats as some establishments have already signified their interest in joining the Magical Electric MassKara, but they will not be part of the competition.
Councilor Jason Villarosa, chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on tourism, disclosed that all of the subsidies for the contingents will be provided by the city government alone.
The release of subsidies would be subjected to the approval of the city council as part of the process of releasing the budget, he claimed.
He explained the city council had yet to discuss the subsidy during their previous session.
During the press presentation, BYF introduced Jojie Dingcong as the overall festival chairperson, BYF president Katherine Matiling as festival co-director, and Eli Tajanlangit as festival consultant.
The official logo with the tagline “Super City Bacolod,” and the MassKara Festival song “Sinadya sa Bacolod” were also presented./MS, WDJ