BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Amid COVID-19 pandemic, leaders of the provincial government of Negros Occidental and highly –urbanized city of Bacolod opened on October 10 the week-long MassKara sa Panaad in Bacolod City, a historic event, as described by some, where the province was invited for the first time to join the MassKara festivities.
Describing it as a groundbreaking event, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said “We are just happy to be part of the biggest and most awaited MassKara Festival in years. Rightfully so, as we will be celebrating the first one since the pandemic,” Lacson added.
“This also creates an opportunity for the MassKara tourists to experience a glimpse of the Land of Sweet Surprises, its culture, local products, festivals, travel destinations, and of course, its famed Negrense cuisine,” the governor said in his speech at the Panaad Sports and Stadium in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez led the Bacolod City officials in attending the opening ceremony, while his son, Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, and elder brother, Third District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez, led the mayors of Negros Occidental. They were joined by Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer and several members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Lacson congratulated Mayor Albee Benitez, the Balik Yuhum Foundation and the entire Bacolod City government for staging what he described as a “trailblazing celebration.”
This MassKara Festival is more than just a festivity, it is a story of hope, resilience and ingenuity. As the pandemic forced upon us the use of masks, this year, we again, as a people, are going to don our MassKaras with the same grit, we courageously displayed in the past when we had our first MassKara festival, he said.
The 31 LGUs of Negros Occidental opened their respective booths and pavilions to showcase their products, unique cuisines and travel destinations.
After two years of uncertainty, here we are, the province and city of Bacolod, united, as we move forward towards recovery, Lacson added.
He also announced that they will be holding the Panaad sa Negros in April next year.
MORE POLICE DEPLOYED
The Bacolod City Police Office received on Oct. 10 an additional 189 police personnel from the Police Regional Office 6 as additional augmentation forces to secure the ongoing MassKara Festival in Bacolod City.
Of the newly-arrived personnel, 186 of them are non-commissioned police officers, while three others are police commissioned officers who will serve as their supervisors.
This was on top of the 315 police personnel earlier dispatched by PRO 6, who were already deployed in different venues of Masskara Festival sites and other strategic areas of Bacolod City.*
