• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The provincial government of Negros Occidental maintains its declaration that the 29th Panaad sa Negros Festival will remain apolitical, as it did not invite any candidates running for national position during the opening ceremony yesterday.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, however, said that most local officials will attend the activity to support their respective local government units.
“That in itself can be considered campaigning but they have a right to be here,” Lacson said.
The provincial government bans the display of campaign materials at the Panaad sa Negros Festival site in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, for the duration of the weeklong festival, which will end March 30.
Czarina Magallanes-Tan, public information officer and this year’s festival director, said they have introduced a new twist for those planning to visit the festival site – a “Stamp and Snap” where participants can have a chance to win an IPhone 16.
“This will encourage visitors to go and visit the different LGU booths. Participants will be given a passport which will be stamped in the LGU booths that they will visit. Then there will be a raffle,” Tan added.
It is aimed to encourage traffic in the LGUs, she pointed out.
Lacson said the booth of San Carlos City has been converted into a museum to highlight the city’s culture. “Income from the food is now secondary for the city,” the governor said.
As to the prices of food being served in the festival site, Lacson said that he has appealed to the LGUs. “If they want to sell, they have to compete with the others even if it means lowering the price,” he said.*
