BACOLOD City — A city councilor is considering an investigation into the use of the P300,000 subsidy granted to Barangay Villamonte for its participation in the Electric MassKara Festival 2026 after its float was disqualified from the parade last week.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government, expressed disappointment over the incident and said he plans to look into the circumstances surrounding the float’s disqualification and the utilization of public funds.
Espino said he was particularly saddened that his home barangay had become the center of controversy after its entry was barred from joining the float parade on October 16, one of the highlights of the annual festival.
“Sadly, Villamonte was depressing. That is my home barangay. I do not know what happened. I have not yet spoken with Barangay Captain Rommel Flores. One of my plans is to discuss what happened in our barangay,” Espino said.
The Bacolod City government provided P300,000 in financial assistance to each barangay participating in the Electric MassKara competition.
However, only six of the seven participating barangays were allowed to proceed with the parade, according to festival organizer Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc. (BGFI). Villamonte’s entry was excluded for failing to meet the event’s requirements.
Espino questioned the outcome, noting that even smaller barangays managed to present floats that met the competition’s standards.
Flores, in a media interview, cited the delayed release of the financial assistance as one of the factors that affected the preparation of their entry. He also pointed to an unfinished design and alleged miscommunication about the float’s actual condition before it was delivered.
Flores maintained that the P300,000 subsidy was not intended solely for the float but was also meant to cover expenses for dancers and other competition requirements.
However, Secretary to the Mayor Atty. Marty Go said city records showed that the processing of financial assistance for participating barangays began after the City Council ratified the memorandum of agreement covering the subsidies on October 5.
All participating barangays had completed the submission of their requirements for the electric float competition by October 6.
On October 7, the vouchers were transmitted to the City Budget Office for the obligation request and control process. They were forwarded to the City Accounting Office on October 8 for processing and pre-audit before being returned to the budget office on October 9 for the actual expense process.
The documents were subsequently sent to the City Treasurer’s Office and the City Mayor’s Office for signatures on October 12, with the vouchers reaching the cashier that afternoon.
Checks were released to the barangays beginning at 11:30 a.m. on October 13.
Go said Villamonte’s voucher was processed alongside those of Barangays 12, 14, 21 and Tangub. He added that participating barangays in the streetdance and electric float competitions had been reminded as early as September to begin submitting their requirements for financial assistance.
Meanwhile, Barangays 17 and 19 had not processed their requirements because of pending liquidation documents. They were expected to seek reimbursement for their float expenses instead, Go said.
Espino’s proposed investigation is expected to examine the circumstances behind Villamonte’s disqualification, including the preparation of the float, the timing of the subsidy release and the use of public funds.
The inquiry could also clarify whether coordination and communication issues contributed to the failure of the entry.
Espino said the incident warrants an explanation, particularly because public funds were provided to support the barangay’s participation in one of Bacolod’s major festival attractions./PN
