The performers in the street dance competition during the 2023 MassKara Festival in Bacolod City will be limited to 10 barangays, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Monday, August 14.
The top ten barangays from last year will be asked to join, he said, adding that this will allow for better financing and more spectacular performances.
It will also mean the streetdance competition will not be too long, he said.
The barangays who fail to liquidate the city’s assistance for their participation in 2022 MassKara streetdancing tilt will not be allowed to join this year, he said.
The MassKara activities that will be held again this year will be those that were well attended in 2022, he said.
The festival will be held from October 6 to 22.
Benitez said aside from a little more than P6 million that he personally gave to cover for the shortfall in the funds privately raised for last year’s festival, he had also given an initial eight figure amount to the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation for the MassKara.
The new Bacolod Yuhum Foundation officials will at least be more prudent in their financial commitments considering what happened last year, he said.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod approval of the Memorandum of Agreement for the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation to manage the 2023 MassKara Festival is still being awaited, Benitez said.
The new foundation officers are Katherine A. Matiling – president, Kuster Cadagat – secretary, Jericho Redil – treasurer, and Patrick Lacson, Ma. Lourdes Socorro Montalvo and Rodney Mitz Ascalon – directors.*