One of the largest and colorful festival in the Philippines is the MassKara Festival. The word Mass, is gotten from the word masses or many people and Kara or face, thus the word MassKara is born.
Bacolod is known as the City of Smiles and thus the festival wearing smiled masked depicts the Negrense’s disposition of a happy spirited people with a positive outlook of life.
The festival falls on the third Sunday of the month of October, which for this year the celebration falls on October 21 and 22. The event features carnivals, fairs, exhibits of products and being highlighted with the street dancing.
MassKara Street Dancing
Participants are clothed in intricate colorful dance costumes, glittering with beads and sequins and topped up with an equally colorful headgear reflecting its harmony with the local culture. Costumes and headgears before in the early days of celebration were inspired with the Filipino native touch, now they are more into festival costumes for Brazil and Rio de Janiero. They paraded in the street, dancing to the beat of the drums, swaying as they got to the judges for a nod.
Electric Zumba sa MassKara
Another first for this year 2017 MassKara Festival celebration is the “Electric Zumba sa MassKara”. Happening on October 20 and 21, 2017 at the Tourism Strips. Dancers from the nearby cities are joining the celebration don wearing lighted outfits
How to get to Bacolod for the MassKara Festival?
Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific flies daily for Manila to Bacolod or Vice Versa within a time span of 50mins to an hour.
You can also travel by Boat. 2Go Travel has four times a week schedule on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Sailing time is approximately 18 hours from Manila to Bacolod.
If you come from Cebu, Air Asia, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have daily flights.
Ceres bus also travels from Cebu to Bacolod via Bato-Dumaguete, via Toledo-San Carlos or via Tabuelan-Escalante
From Dumaguete there are regular Ceres Bus schedule for Bacolod via Mabinay or via San Carlos.
Take Iloilo as your base, there are number of fastcraft scheduled for the Iloilo/Bacolod route and vice versa.
From Cagayan de Oro you can take the vessels of 2Go Travel for Bacolod sailing every Saturday at 11:00 PM.
More information on Bacolod destination? You may check on other post, “How to go to Bacolod”.
What to do and where to go in Bacolod?
Bacolod is a very interesting place to visit, rich with cultural heritage and natural wonders, you can not stay idle in your schedules trip.
The Ruins
A must-place to see. Bacolod is known for lots of ancestral houses with the Ruins of Mariano Lacson’s mansion topping as the most visited place. Known for the beauty and architectural design not to consider the interesting and romantic story of the family foretold.
The Heritage Houses of Silay
You can find the most number of NHI registered ancestral houses in the City of Silay. Three of which are now turned into a museum such as Balay Negrense, Bernardino Jalandoni Museum, Hofilena Ancestral Museum. You may also visit the San Diego Pro Cathedral or enjoy delicacies Tatak Silay, which made it as the home of famous delicacies in Negros Occidental.
Bacolod Museum and Art Galleries
Depicting the history of the province and sugar as its Lifeblood, Negros Museum and Museum Negrense de La Salle is the place to visit. Bacolod is also the home to top artist Nunelucio Alvarado and Charlie Co.
Mambukal Resort
One popular Eco-Destination is the Mambukal Resort, a very accessible 45-minute drive from Bacolod City. Here you’ll be amazed and will be able to enjoy the scenic seven-tiered waterfalls, take a dip and relax in the warm water pool, visit the butterfly garden or watch the fruit bats. A wonderful experience to commune with nature.
Campuestohan Highland Resort
Located in the boundaries of Bacolod and Talisay Cities Campuestohan Highland Resort is now becoming a popular family destination. The resort offers different amenities with its picturesque mountain view and cooler climate. You can experience fogs in the area.
Foods, Cakes, Organic Farms
Got a sweet tooth? Bacolod is known for Original Batchoy and Chicken Inasal, Food product from organic farms and proving that the place is really the sugar capital as depicted in their cake and pastry produce.
Church of the Angry Jesus
Who aren’t the less curious? About 40 to 45 minutes bus ride from Bacolod is Victorias City, where the Victorias Milling Company, the largest sugar refinery in Asia is located, and made Bacolod as the sugar Capital of the Philippines.
In 1949 a church was built to serve the residents of the compound, known as Saint Joseph the Worker Parish Church. However, the church earned negativity among the locals because of its unique painting, and so distinct in terms of sacred iconography and architectural design of the angry Jesus, who is supposedly full of mercy, love and compassion.
Czech American architect Antonio Raymund is in charge of the design, in collaboration with Belgian Catholic Liturgical Artist Ade Bethune, Ilonggo sculpture/carpenter Benjamin Valenciano for the wooden crucifix, Station of the Cross and Images of Joseph and Mary. Negrense Abstract Expressionist Alfonso Osorio did the painting portraying Jesus Christ on Judgement Day.
Life Magazine who appreciated the architectural beauty, ethnic essence and religious docile presence, hailed it then as The Church of the Angry Jesus. For good reasons and to glorify history a move has been put up to declare it as a Filipino Heritage.
Where to Stay in Bacolod?
Hotels, Pension Houses, Resorts and Bed n Breakfast are always available everywhere. You can always check on the most convenient and affordable place to stay.
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