BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government will not interfere in how winning schools and barangays distribute or utilize their cash prizes from the 2026 MassKara Festival street dance and arena competitions, Mayor Greg Gasataya said.
Gasataya said the city government’s responsibility was to provide financial assistance to participating contingents, while decisions on the use of prize money rested with the winning institutions.
His statement came amid social media complaints alleging that dancers of Bacolod City National High School (BCNHS), the competition’s champion, received only P1,500 each from the school’s P750,000 cash prize.
“For the barangays, it is up to them to decide how to use the prize money. For the schools, the decision rests with the winning school and the Department of Education (DepEd),” the mayor said.
He stressed that the city had no authority to dictate how winning schools and barangays should allocate their prizes, adding that the concerned institutions should clarify how the funds would be distributed and utilized.
Gasataya also disclosed that he had raised the issue with Bacolod Schools Division Superintendent Dennis Develos after reports about the alleged distribution surfaced on social media several days earlier.
According to the mayor, Develos had been informed of the concerns and was taking steps to address the matter.
The controversy has drawn public attention to the distribution of cash prizes, particularly the share allocated to student performers who participated in the preparation and presentation of the winning entry.
BCNHS won the street dance and arena competitions, earning a P750,000 cash prize.
However, the allegations about the amount received by individual dancers have yet to be independently verified. The school’s explanation regarding the distribution and intended use of the prize money remains necessary to clarify the issue.
Gasataya reiterated that the city government would leave decisions on the prizes to the winning schools and barangays, emphasizing that the responsibility for determining how the funds would be spent rested with the respective institutions./PN
