• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Ten barangays will be participating in this year’s MassKara Festival street dance and arena competition in Bacolod City this October.
These are Barangays Granada, Sum-ag, Tangub, 34, Vista Alegre, Mansilingan, Cabug, 40, Handumanan, and 21.
The 44th edition of the MassKara Festival this year will be handled by the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation.
Mate Espina, BYF head of public relations, said they will be giving a subsidy of P750,000 to each participating barangay, which is higher compared to P500,000 given last year, with P300,000 coming from the foundation and P200,000 from the city government.
They also have 10 entries for the Masskara Elektrika Diva and Electric Float Parade and Competition. These are Barangays 5, 32, 18, Felisa, 14, Bata, 19, 24, Singcang and 12, she said.
“These year, we will be bringing back the early days of the Electric MassKara ala Rio de Janeiro where we have electric divas dancing on top of the electric floats. The subsidy for this event will be P300,000 per participating barangay. However, we may also have corporate floats as some establishments have already signified their interest to join the magical Electric MassKara but they will not be part of the competition,” Espina said.
Bacolod Councilor Jason Isidro Villarosa said the mayor will talk to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for the approval of the subsidy of P750,000 to the participating barangays of the MassKara Festival streetdance and arena competition.
The assistance to the Electric MassKara could be the same. But since no request has yet passed through SP, they do not know the final amount, he said.*