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BACOLOD City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has approved a total of P14.6 million in subsidies for contingents joining the MassKara Festival 2025, covering the Electric MassKara and the MassKara Street and Arena Dance competitions.
This October, the city will once again host the world-renowned festival, institutionalized under City Ordinance No. 09-17-820 dated May 24, 2017, which sets the fourth Sunday of October as the permanent date for the festival highlights.
The Electric MassKara competition, along with the school and barangay categories of the MassKara Street and Arena Dance competitions, will serve as the festival’s highlights on October 17, 18, and 19, respectively.
During the regular session of the SP on Wednesday, September 10, Councilor Jason Villarosa, chairperson of the committee on tourism, said the body approved the request of the City Mayor’s Office to grant subsidies to participating groups.
Under the approved measure, the city government will provide P300,000 each to 12 barangays competing in the Electric MassKara; P500,000 each to seven schools competing in the Street and Arena Dance Competition – School Category; and P750,000 each to 10 barangays competing in the Street and Arena Dance Competition – Barangay Category.
Electric MassKara competing groups are barangays 2, 5, 12, 17, 19, 32, 33, 34, Cabug, Granada, and Mansilingan.
Meanwhile, the competing groups for MassKara Street and Arena Dance Competition – School Category include District 1 (Andres Bonifacio Elementary School), District 2 (Estefania Elementary School), District 3 (Asuncion Lizares Elementary School), District 4 (Paglaum Village Elementary School), District 5 (Rizal Elementary School), District 6 (Education and Training Center School I), and District 7 (Rodolfo A. Medel Sr. Elementary School).
For MassKara Street and Arena Dance Competition – Barangay Category, the participating groups are barangays 6, 7, 11, 13, 21, 29, 39, Bata, Handumanan, and Tangub.
On the other hand, the city government and this year’s festival organizer, Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc. (BGFI), will hold the grand launch of the MassKara Festival 2025 on Saturday, September 13 at a hotel in the city./PN
