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Bacolod's 40th MassKara Festival to open Oct. 7

By Nanette Guadalquiver

September 24, 2019, 8:39 am

<p><strong>‘CITY OF SMILES’.</strong> Performers of Education Training Center School-II in their colorful masks and costumes won the championship during the street and arena dance competition in the elementary category during the 39th MassKara Festival last year. The 40th edition, themed “Bacolod, City of Smiles”, will run from October 7 to 27, 2019. <em>(File photo from Bacolod City PIO)</em></p>

‘CITY OF SMILES’. Performers of Education Training Center School-II in their colorful masks and costumes won the championship during the street and arena dance competition in the elementary category during the 39th MassKara Festival last year. The 40th edition, themed “Bacolod, City of Smiles”, will run from October 7 to 27, 2019. (File photo from Bacolod City PIO)

BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Evelio Leonardia has announced that the 40th MassKara Festival will open on October 7, a day earlier than its original schedule of October 8.

“Last night (Sunday), I talked to festival director Eli Francis Tajanlangit and we agreed to adjust the opening day,” Leonardia confirmed in a press conference on Monday.

He said that the adjustment was made as he would be attending an event at the Korean Embassy on October 8.

On Sept. 8, during the start of the countdown to the Ruby Anniversary, the mayor said this year’s MassKara would be a celebration “like no other”.

“This is a MassKara like no other even if we just simply think in terms of its being 40 years. This is a milestone, no doubt about that. (We have) seen MassKara metamorphose to what it is today,” he added.

This year’s festivities, themed “Bacolod, City of Smiles”, will run until October 27.

Also behind the festival are Councilor Israel Salanga, assistant festival director for festival sites; Rudy Reveche, chair of the street and arena dance competition; Ryan Saez, director of Electric MassKara; Sonny Cabahug, pageant director of the Search for the Ruby MassKara Queen; digital artist Mark Lester Jarmin, who created the 2019 festival logo; artist-photographer RJ Lacson, who is putting together the Ruby MassKara art installation; and filmmaker Claudia Diaz-Cojuangco, who is doing a documentary on the MassKara dancers.

On Oct. 26, a total of 11 schools, including seven in the elementary category and four in high school, will join the MassKara Street and Arena Dance Competition.

In the elementary level, the participating schools are Banago Elementary School- I for District 1; Estefania Elementary School for District 2; Fr. Gratian Murray, AFSC Integrated School for District 3; Jose J. Gonzaga Elementary School for District 4; E. J. Garcia Elementary School for District 5; Education and Training Center School-III for District 6; and R.A. Medel Sr. Elementary School for District 7.

Domingo Lacson National High School for Unit 1, Angela Gonzaga National High School for Unit 2, Luisa Medel National High School for Unit 3, and M.G. Medalla Integrated School for Unit 4 will be the competing teams in the secondary category.

For the barangay competition on Oct. 27, 14 villages have also confirmed participation.

These include Tangub, Banago, Bata, Handumanan, Esfenia, Barangays 40, 4, 12, 16, 3, 39, 32, 5, and 6. (PNA)



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