As one of the oldest cities in the Philippines, Bacolod City is a revered place steeped in history. And although not the most popular among tourists it is one of the most progressive. “The City of Smiles” is best known for its MassKara Festival which happens every October and is the major tourism attraction in the city.
While there are undoubtedly many things to do in Bacolod, nothing quite compares to the city in October when the MassKara Festival kicks off. The festival began in 1980 to help the city recover from a sugar crisis and the sinking of vessel MV Don Juan which saw 700 people lose their lives. To remember those who lost their lives, and try to put the smiles back on the faces of all affected, the city devised a festival that would revolve around fiberglass masks emblazoned with those iconic smiles you will have seen in pictures, colorful costumes, pageants, bazaars, arena competitions and dancing. The festival would go on to become one of the most well known and attended in the country.
The festival’s name came from former Art Association of Bacolod president Ely Santiago. The origins of MassKara’s name comes from “mass” meaning the number of people that would attend the event and “cara” which means face in Spanish, masskara-festival according to this article by Inquirer.
With direct flights going from Manila to Bacolod City taking approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, thousands of tourists from the Metro are now flocking to the three-week festival not to mention the international travelers that also make the journey. Attendances grow each year, as does its unique approach, and it is widely accepted among the most iconic in the Philippines, according to The Lonely Planet.
The Festival of Smiles’ main highlights include a Street Dancing Competition usually held on the first Sunday of the festival and the iconic Electric MassKara Dance Parade and Party. Oh, and don’t forget your camera. Akin to the Rio Carnival in Brazil, you’re unlikely
to see such an array of bombastic colors anywhere else in the world. Although, there have yet to be any details released about the 2018 festival, it will no doubt be bigger and better than ever before. Keep abreast with the latest announcements by checking the official website on a regular basis. Experience Negros has a definitive festival guide that is worth checking out that will provide you great options in terms of hotels, places to eat, the schedule, tips for first time visitors, details on the music played at the festival, how to get to Bacolod and many other useful tidbits to help you along your way. To give you a visual representation of what the MassKara Festival is really like, take a look at this video by Bacolod Lifestyle and Travel Guide in the 2016.
If that video isn’t enough to get you excited about this year’s festival then we don’t know what will. If you’re traveling from the Metro we suggest booking flights and accommodation early as they can get booked up quickly due to the popularity of the festival. So don’t miss
out, start preparing your itinerary now!
