• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod city government is preparing to host the dual grand opening of the 52nd Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) and the 2026 Batang Pinoy National Championships on Dec. 12.
Mayor Greg Gasataya said they reached an agreement with both the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to synchronize the two major national events into a single unified itinerary at a shared venue in the highly-urbanized city.
“While the opening of Batang Pinoy is underway, we will have the Parade of Stars along several streets in Bacolod; as much as possible, it will go around all the major areas,” Gasataya said.
He said that some showbiz personalities, who have MMFF entries, already committed to joining the Bacolod opening.
Following the parade, these personalities will join athletes and other delegates at the main venue for the Batang Pinoy official opening rites, culminating in an MMFF-organized concert.
Bacolod was chosen as regional co-host for the 52nd MMFF, alongside San Juan City and Mandaluyong City.
The city is also bracing for the arrival of more than 15,000 student-athletes, coaches, and sports officials for the 2026 Batang Pinoy National Championships.
Gasataya said they are currently finalizing the unified venue layout and traffic management arrangements for both national crowd-drawing events. | TMD
