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Masskara Festival: Then and Now

The MassKara Festival of Bacolod City is one of the biggest festivals in the Philippines. Believe it or not, the festival has been giving local and international visitors the chance to have fun, drink, and party on the streets of Bacolod for over 30 years now.

This annual festival, which is similar to Brazil’s Rio Carnival, literally translates to “many faces,” and is celebrated every October in Bacolod. Because of the smiling faces of the mask, Bacolod City got the nickname The City of Smiles.

The MassKara Festival can trace its roots back to the 1980s and was born out of a crisis. It was during the time when the province’s main livelihood, sugar, was priced at an all-time low because of alternatives introduced in the market, which resulted in one of the worst famines in the country’s history that affected an estimated one million people.

It was also the time when a tragic ferry accident happened, which carried mostly people from the province including those from prominent families of Bacolod.  

To lift the spirits of the locals and bring back the smiles on their faces, the MassKara Festival was created. The smiling masks were a declaration of the people of Bacolod City that they will pull through and survive the challenges and tragedies that they are facing. 

The Arts Association of Bacolod-Negros, headed by Rodney Martinez, conducted workshops around Negros and taught the residents how to make masks using coconut husks and paper mâché.

Originally, these masks were created just to be sold to tourists and to generate income, and not for a festival that they were yet to conceptualize. The colorful masks created by the local residents were supposedly a signature souvenir of the province and to get the attention of foreign visitors.

Luckily, the idea was a hit and tourists started buying the masks as they were light and easy to bring around. Visitors can also wear them while touring the Bacolod tourist spots.

The center of the MassKara festival is the big vibrant masks. A lot of barangays and groups are working hard to give world-class performances complete with crafted masks and eye-catching outfits.

As The City of Smiles, expect Bacolod locals to give you the warmest welcome. Festivals in the Philippines usually bring out the most hospitable spirit in everyone, so don’t be shy to befriend locals during the festivities. You might even get the best travel tips from them!

The music used for the celebration has enjoyed a colorful evolution, just like the festival. From folk songs, the festival now uses a combination of Latin beat remixes as well as Philippine Jazz to grace the street dances.

Source: https://guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/history-culture/masskara-festival-bacolod-guide

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