Organizers of the 46th MassKara Festival have put in place evacuation guidelines in the event of an emergency such as flooding or earthquake along one of the city’s longest roads — Lacson Street — during the festival’s highlights from October 17 to 19.
Dubbed the “Lacson Tourism Strip,” the area will have five stages that will offer live performances and DJ sets, as well as interactive installations and cultural showcases.
In a press conference on Thursday, October 16, site director Mark Raymund Garcia said each music stage cluster has its own nearest evacuation point.
If there is a need to evacuate, he advised festival-goers to follow the instructions of uniformed marshals or Public Safety Command Post personnel.
“In case of emergency, marshals will guide you through safe lanes marked with glow tape and barricades. Avoid re-entering stages or tents until safety officials declare it safe,” Garcia said.
Bacolod felt the series of strong earthquakes that jolted Cebu and Davao Oriental in the past two weeks, and in the past days, experienced flooding in some areas, including Lacson Street, due to torrential rains.
A day before the festival opened on October 1, Bacolodnons experienced tremors during the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that rocked Bogo City, Cebu.
A huge crowd was also expected during the Electric MassKara float competition participated by 12 barangays, from the Upper East Megaworld to the Bacolod City Government Center grounds.
The much-awaited arena and street dance competitions will feature seven elementary schools, while 10 barangays will face off on Sunday, October 19, from the Paglaum Sports Complex to the Bacolod Public Plaza.
To ensure the safety and security of festival-goers, the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has dispatched 2,495 personnel for the weekend highlights.
On Thursday, the second batch of deployment included 300 personnel of PRO-Western Visayas, and 211 from PRO-NIR.
The first batch deployed at the start of the festival included 1,320 Philippine National Police personnel, 64 from other government security forces, 250 force multipliers, 80 from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and rescue groups, and 270 personnel of the Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department.
The other security personnel are from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, the Philippine Army and the Philippine Coast Guard. (PNA)