BACOLOD City – The highlights of the 2025 MassKara Festival will remain on the fourth Sunday of October, not the third Sunday as proposed in a recent local measure.
This clarification came from Mayor Greg Gasataya, following reports of a city ordinance amendment that sought to permanently move the festival’s highlight week to the third Sunday of October. The ordinance in question aimed to revise City Ordinance No. 09-17-820, enacted on May 24, 2017, which established the fourth Sunday of October as the official date for MassKara’s main events.
Mayor Gasataya emphasized that Republic Act No. 11146, a national law, prevails over local ordinances. RA 11146, which declares June 18 as Bacolod City Charter Day, also explicitly states that “the highlights of the MassKara Festival shall be held every fourth Sunday of October.”
“Contrary ordinances or resolutions cannot supersede a national law,” the mayor stressed. “The national law will be followed.”
The ordinance to shift the celebration to the third Sunday was passed on third and final reading by the 11th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) in April this year, during the administration of then-Mayor and now Congressman Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
Supporters of the amendment cited the frequent rainfall and weather disturbances on the fourth Sunday of October as a major reason for the proposed change. The earlier date was seen as a way to ensure better weather, improved safety, and an overall enhanced experience for festival goers, performers, and tourists.
The SP also reasoned that setting a fixed weekend each year would help avoid confusion among tourists and boost event preparations.
Still, Mayor Gasataya stood firm on adhering to the nationally mandated schedule. In line with this, he has already begun preparations for the return of the MassKara dance competition to its traditional home — the Bacolod Public Plaza.
To prepare the venue for the grand comeback, the mayor has ordered immediate improvements such as pruning of overgrown trees, removal of old or damaged Christmas lights, repairing of non-functional lamps for improved lighting, urgent siphoning of septic tanks and repair of comfort rooms, repainting of structures and removal of unnecessary fixtures, and coordination with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) for the rehabilitation of the public fountain
Mayor Gasataya personally inspected the public plaza’s comfort rooms and emphasized the urgency of cleaning and repairs.
“This needs to be done urgently so we can proceed with fixing the comfort rooms,” he said during the inspection.
With Bacolod’s iconic festival poised to reclaim its cultural roots at the city plaza, the local government is aiming to deliver a more organized, accessible, and memorable MassKara experience — in line with both tradition and national law./PN
