Text and photos by CESAR JOLITO III with AJ Palcullo
In the midst of the vibrant colors, upbeat music and joyful crowds of the 46th MassKara Festival, both locals and tourists were spotted proudly reading Watchmen Daily Journal’s special supplement for the festival.
The special edition, released during the festival highlights weekend, featured exclusive stories, colorful photo spreads, and festival updates celebrating Bacolod’s enduring spirit of resilience and unity under this year’s theme, “One Smile, One City, One Heart.”
Readers could be seen at Paglaum Sports and Complex, where the street and arena dance competition was held, flipping through pages filled with coverage of the Electric MassKara Parade, Float Parade, as well as feature stories on local artists, performers and community initiatives.
“This year’s edition truly captures the joy of the festival and the pride of Bacolodnons,” said Marissa del Rosario, a local resident who has attended the MassKara Festival for more than a decade.
“It’s wonderful to see our local newspapers keeping the culture alive through stories that make us smile,” she added.
Foreign visitors and local tourists also joined in the excitement, taking souvenir photos with their copies of the newspapers as keepsakes from their MassKara experience.
Watchmen Daily Journal, known for their consistent local reporting in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and Negros Island Region, dedicated the special issue to highlight Bacolod’s growing tourism, economic development and cultural identity — reaffirming their shared commitment to inform, connect, and celebrate the communities of Negros Island.
As the City of Smiles wrapped up another successful festival, the sight of festivalgoers proudly reading the local press symbolized more than just news consumption — it was a celebration of local pride, storytelling, and unity through shared smiles and stories./CJ, WDJ