Ever heard of a weeklong festivity that gives local and foreign visitors the chance of a lifetime to drink and be merry? Nothing beats the Masskara Festival of Bacolod City. Call it a combination of the Mardi Gras and the Oktoberfest where you will find a huge parade and a lot of drinking. The Masskara Festival is a hip escape from the insanity of the world into colorful days of outrageous partying.
The term Masskara is created from two words: mass, meaning crowd, and the Spanish word cara, for face; thus the double meaning for "mask" and "many faces". It was coined by Ely Santiago, a painter, cartoonist, and cultural artist, who devoted show in his art works the many faces of Negrenses overwhelmed with various crises.
Masskara festival was first conceived in 1980 to add color and gaiety to the Bcolod City's celebration of its Charter Day anniversary, on 19 October. The symbol of the festival - a smiling mask - was adopted by the organizers to dramatize the Negrenses happy spirit, despite periodic economic downturns in the sugar industry. It was intended as an encouragement to all to fight back and to keep smiling despite the sugar problems, and highlighted that hope still existed. Since then, the smiling masks have become the city's symbol, thus earning its tag as the "City of Smile." The festival instills among the people the culture of escapism and obscurantism, where they have to accept and forget their sufferings caused by the exploitation and oppression of the landlords.
The term Masskara is coined from two words: mass, meaning crowd, and the Spanish word cara, for face; thus the double meaning for "mask" and "many faces".
Masks are the order of the day at the Masskara parade, as brightly-costumed men and women dance and prance in the streets. Their beaming faces are be-dimpled, grinning and laughing in molded clay or papier-mache.
This annual festival, which has become one of Philippines best known tourist attraction, has been earning raves both from local and foreign tourists. Masskara Festival has also been judged the most beautiful and colorful festival among the various contingents from other countries. This year, the one week long celebration in Bacolod start on October 11 until October 19.
The celebration of Masskara Festival continues at the Liwasang Bonifacio, Philippine Embassy Riyadh KSA on October 24, 2008 wherein SE Productions, will feature the said festival as the opening segment during the Coronation Night of Ginoo and Binibining Pilipinas Saudi Arabia 2008.
Filipinos, wherever they may be, are called the people of happy smiling faces. S.E. Productions would be more contented to see smiles fitting across the face of Filipinos in Riyadh despite of being away from their homeland
Visit the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and celebrate with a smile on October 24!
