Barangay Mansilingan bagged P350,000 in cash prize as grand champion of the electric MassKara float competition, featuring the “Cakes of Bacolod”, that wowed spectators crowding the streets, from Megaworld’s The Upper East to the Bacolod Government Center Oct. 17.
The design highlighted Bacolod’s love for cakes and sweets, capturing the hearts of both judges and spectators. Mansilingan also won the dance showdown at the BGC, and took home the Best in Float, Best in Mask and Costume, and Best in Music special awards, each with a P10,000 cash prize.
“(Winning the competition) is a great pride for our group because we only rehearsed for a week. We had a lot of struggles and a very short preparation time. We’re really happy to have secured the championship,” choreographer Denver Diocson said in a city press release.
Barangay 12 was first runner-up, with their float showcasing the “Bacolod Public Plaza”, a tribute to one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The team earned P200,000 and a trophy for their creative effort.
Barangay Granada won as second runner-up for their lively “Inasal Festival” entry, a flavorful celebration of Bacolod’s famous chicken inasal. It also received the Most Disciplined Award and took home P150,000, and a trophy.
Each float was designed around the themes “One Smile. One City. One Heart”, and featured a distinct aspect of Bacolod’s identity.
The “One Smile” theme paid tribute to the city’s colorful festivals, and the competing floats in this category were Barangay 5 for Rum Festival, Granada – Inasal Festival, Cabug – Bacolod Film Festival, and Barangay 34 for the Bacolaodiat Festival.
Under the “One City” theme, which showcased Bacolod’s most iconic spots, the competing barangays are Brgy. 12 for the public plaza, 33 – San Sebastian Cathedral, 19 – Bacolod Art District, and Brgy. 8 for Yulo’s Park – Barangay 8.
For the “One Heart”, with spotlight on the city’s rich culinary culture, Brgy. 17’s float featured the cansi, seafood for Brgy. 2, pasalubong for Brgy. 32, and cakes for Mansilingan.
Mayor Greg Gasataya lauded the dedication and creativity of all the contingents in this year’s Electric MassKara competition.
“We thank the 12 barangays that partook in our electric MassKara. We’ve seen how you have evolved our competition, that is why we congratulate our 12 barangays for participating,” he said in the press release. “We also would like to thank all the sponsors, who made our event tonight memorable.” ||
