• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod public plaza is all set to host food kiosks and a wide array of entertainment events as the MassKara Festival 2026 activities officially begin on Oct. 1.
Under the banner theme “Share The Smile. Celebrate Gugma”, over 90 commercial and food kiosks will open around the plaza perimeter. Community competitions and live performances will also be staged in the area.
MassKara Festival event head Christopher Mallo said that Sept. 29 that electrical installations and utility connections for stall owners have been completed.
They also conducted an orientation with the vendors a week ago, including waste management, to ensure smooth operations.
Mallo said that if a kiosk owner commits three violations, his or her business will be closed.
“They have to follow the rules and guidelines, otherwise, it will be a violation on their part,” he said, noting that they also do not enforce price monitoring on the concessionaires.
In addition to commercial stalls, a diverse lineup of events will take center stage at the plaza from Oct. 9 to 16, including the Choreographers Face Off, Inter-School Drum and Lyre Corps competition, Market Day, Bidang Sektor, the Singkara 2026 Teens Edition grand finals, and TODA Day.
“The Bacolod City public plaza will serve as a common stage where communities can come together, celebrate their talents, support one another, and share the spirit of MassKara,” the Gugma Foundation Inc. said.
Meanwhile, the Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department will implement temporary road closures on streets surrounding the plaza from Oct. 1 to 18, from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily. | TMD
