It's the middle of October, a few days away from Christmas, but Bacolod City in Negros Occidental is just heating up with the beat of the fiesta spirit. Its Masskara Festival season once more.
The festival, held every third weekend of October, is a celebration of life that gave Bacolod the title “City of Smiles.” During this event, dancers in colorful masks with wide grins, gyrate down the streets of the Negrense city. Aside from a streetdancing competition, other activities during the festival include a beauty pageant, carnivals, sports competitions, concerts, an agri-trade fair, garden show, among others.
Recently, the city of Bacolod, headed by its lady chief, Mayor Joy Valdez brought the Masskara fever to Manila by bringing over a contingent of Masskara streetdancers to perform at the Bacolod Chicken Inasal (BCI) restaurant along Jupiter St. in Makati.
According to Mayor Valdez, this is the first time that the Masskara had “a comprehensive launching.” Their goal is not only to promote the festival but also to present Bacolod City as a place of untapped tourism potential.
“We want people to explore what Bacolod has to offer. The food is one of the things we want to offer. Another is the world-class handicrafts,” she said.
Meanwhile, she said that this year’s festival is bigger, with the most number of participants joining the streetdancing competition. Also, they will be unveiling in Bacolod the world’s longest lighted signage (260 feet), which they will enter in the list of Ripley’s Believe It or Not wonders.
Incidentally, the Manila launch of the festival coincided with the third anniversary of the BCI Jupiter branch. Guests were treated to a sumptuous Negrense feast, the highlight of which is the restaurant specialty – the chicken inasal.
Inasal is a delicious dish of chicken parts marinated in local herbs and spices, skewered on bamboo sticks then grilled over charcoal. This recipe originated from the Bacolod kitchens.
While the Masskara dancers entertained passersby and visitors entering the restaurant, colorful photographs by Bacolod photographer Toto Tarrosa showcasing the intricate masks of previous festivals were on display inside.
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