KOREA FOUNDATION

The MassKara Festival was born, its name a portmanteau, coined by the late artist Ely Santiago, from mass (a multitude of people) and the Spanish word cara (face), thus forming MassKara, a multitude of faces. The word is also a pun on maskara, the Philippine word for mask (itself from the Spanish word mascara), since masks adorned with smiling faces are a prominent feature of the festival in the “city of smiles.”

 

The MassKara festival is held every October, and one can sense the anticipation throughout the city in the preceding weeks. The festive mood peaks during the third week of the month, around the celebration of Bacolod’s “Charter Day” on October 19th. Dancers wearing colorful masks gather at Bacolod Square and dance to infectious Latin rhythms. The parade, full of colorful masks and costumes, is an absolute highlight, but there’s an abundance of splendid events held on the city’s streets, including a beauty pageant, drum and bugle corps competitions, food festivals, sports events, agricultural trade fairs, garden shows, and many others. The MassKara festival, which started as a local event, is broadcast live across the country and has since become a representative festival of the Philippines, attracting tourists from all over the world. 

 

The festival is full of positive energy and symbolizes the strong will of the Philippine people to overcome life’s many crises with a unique sense of optimism and a special passion for life. Bacolod’s nickname, the “City of Smiles,” is reflected in the Philippine people’s friendly hospitality, so come October, why not visit the Philippines and enjoy the sweet happiness in the “City of Smiles.”

  

 

 

 

Travel Tip

Bacolod

Bacolod or Bacolod City is the capital of the province of Negros Occidental on the island of Negros in the Western Visayas in the central Philippines. Time and time again, the clean and well developed city has been ranked as the most livable city in the Philippines in surveys by the Philippine government and others.

Sweet desserts

Bacolod is famous for its sweet desserts – unsurprisingly so, given the region’s sugar cane plantations. During the MassKara festival, you can try a variety of sweet desserts at one of the many stalls throughout the city.

Catholic Cultural Heritage

Visitors to Bacolod can explore Catholic heritage sites, such as the San Sebastian Cathedral, whose construction was completed in 1882 in the latter stages of the Spanish Colonial Period.

Sightseeing

Other of Bacolod’s attractions include the Negros Museum, showcasing Negrense art, lifestyle and society, and the Dizon-Ramos Museum, where old photographs, ceramics, glassware, jewelry, crystals, porcelain and paintings are on display.