• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The first two days of the MassKara Festival celebration saw thousands of Bacolodnons and other revelers flocking to the Bacolod Government Center (BGC), one of the main festival sites, to join the grand salubong countdown Oct. 11, and watch OPM sensation TJ Monterde the following night.
The countdown crowd of about 45,000 was even surpassed Oct. 12, as around 100,000 spectators gathered to witness Monterde’s performance, which the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation (BYF) said was “a record-breaking event”.
Bacolod City Police Office director, Col. Joeresty Coronica, who was onsite to oversee security, said the crowd estimate during Monterde’s performance surpassed the numbers seen during the festival’s grand opening countdown.
“We ensure that the police are always on top of every situation. Our main goal is to end this festival successfully and safely,” Coronica said as he strategically deployed police personnel in key areas to ensure the safety and security of revelers.
The BCPO said “crowd control measures and traffic management were also effectively implemented, allowing for a seamless flow of activities”.
It reiterated that prohibited items include pointed barbecue sticks and bladed weapons, use of backpacks inside festival sites, and carrying glass bottled drinks while roaming around the festival sites.
The BCPO also bans the lighting of firecrackers, except those authorized by the city or BYF, littering, and pranks or jokes that can cause mass panic/stampede.
BYF secretary and festival director for Cultural and Accredited Events, Kuster Cadagat, meanwhile, expressed his joy at the turnout.
“The last two MassKara Festivals under Mayor Albee Benitez’s administration were astonishing and remarkable, but tonight, we’ve made history in the making,” he said of the horde that watched Monterde’s gig.
“It takes a leader like Mayor Albee to bring about such a successful celebration. This could even be the best MassKara we’ve ever had, and we are so excited to see what’s next,” he said in a BYF press release.
Councilor Jason Villarosa, chairperson of the sanggunian Committee on Tourism, said he was amazed by the massive crowd. “I was stuck in traffic for almost 20 minutes, but seeing this overwhelming turnout shows how successful the MassKara Festival has become.”
The BYF said that highly-anticipated performances to come include that of SB19, Piolo Pascual, TJ with KZ Tandingan, Flow G, and Skusta Clee, among others. | CGC
