Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Monday, April 22, attributed the drop in the Panaad sa Negros Festival sales by 18.6 percent this year to the decline in the purchasing power of the middle class.
The total sales during the festival from April 15 to 21 was P19,250,439 compared to P23,663,642 last year, or a drop by P4,413,203.
Lacson said he was informed by Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president, that the purchasing power of Negrenses, especially among the middle class, has gone down.
People were at the festival but they were not buying as much compared to last year, he said.
There were also a lot of young people and you can no expect them to go out and splurge, Lacson said.
The 32 Negros Occidental local government units’ pavilions had the highest sales at P11,808,939, a report submitted to the governor showed.
Sales at the San Miguel/Garden Show was P4,461,985, Food Alley – P1,703,403, Provincial Veterinary Office – P870,230, Trade Fair MUAD – P264,550, and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist – P141,331.
Lacson said events at the festival like the Lin-ay sang Negros, festival dances and pop dance competitions drew crowds that filled the Panaad Stadium to the rafters.
The Lin-ay sang Negros also attracted 1.2 million viewers online, he said.
The concerts, however, did not draw big crowds compared to last year, he said.
“But as a whole I’d like to think the festival was successful”, Lacson said.
Every year we work on making the Panaad better, Lacson assured.
“We cannot just be stagnant we will try to improve every year,” Lacson added.*