For the first time in MassKara Festival history, ambulant vendors were organized under a coordinated system, generating a reported ₱10.818 million in sales across designated vending areas from October 1 to 18, Guma Foundation reported Thursday.
The initiative marked a significant step toward creating a more organized vending environment during Bacolod’s annual festival, providing small entrepreneurs and independent vendors with opportunities to participate in the city’s major tourism celebration, the foundation said in a press release.
Aicah Saadvedra, head organizer of the ambulant vendors and an ambulant vendor herself, said the initiative brought together organized associations and independent sellers to help make festival vending more coordinated and inclusive.
The participating groups included the Bacolod Alliance of Small Entrepreneurs and the Bacolod Dry Goods Association, alongside independent street food vendors and members of the Muslim and Maranao communities who were also given opportunities to participate.
Saadvedra’s involvement reflects the perspective of a vendor who understands firsthand the challenges of earning a livelihood during large public events and the importance of providing small entrepreneurs with opportunities to benefit from the festival economy, the press release said.
Festival Director Rodney Mitz Ascalon said the initiative reflects the commitment of MassKara For All to extend the festival’s opportunities to different sectors of the community, particularly small entrepreneurs whose livelihoods are connected to the annual celebration.
“MassKara For All means that the opportunities created by our festival should reach every sector of our community, including our ambulant vendors, because they are part of the MassKara experience and their hard work contributes to the economic activity that makes our celebration meaningful,” Ascalon said.
A financial report covering October 1 to 18 showed that Araneta Street recorded the highest reported sales, with 41 dry goods stalls, including ukay-ukay vendors, generating ₱3.69 million and another 41 street food stalls recording ₱2.214 million.
At Gatuslao Street, 30 ambulant vendors selling food, souvenirs, and merchandise generated a reported ₱1.08 million in sales.
Rizal Street recorded ₱1.08 million from two groups of 20 ambulant vendors each, with ₱360,000 attributed to souvenir and MassKara merchandise vendors and ₱720,000 to vendors selling mixed merchandise and food.
Meanwhile, 20 stalls at the Bacolod Government Center recorded ₱1.8 million in sales, while 30 ambulant vendors at Panasiatic generated ₱540,000 and another 23 vendors in the designated back area recorded ₱414,000.
The combined reported sales across these designated vending areas reached ₱10.818 million during the 18-day festival period.
Saadvedra’s organizing initiative aimed to provide vendors with a more coordinated presence during MassKara while recognizing the contribution of different livelihood sectors to the festival’s overall economic activity, the press release said.
Ascalon emphasized that the success of MassKara should also be viewed through the opportunities it creates for ordinary Bacolodnons, independent sellers, and small business owners.
“When we talk about the success of MassKara, we should look beyond the crowds and major events and also recognize the small entrepreneurs and ordinary Bacolodnons who work hard to provide for their families,” Ascalon said.
He added that the festival’s theme, “Share the Smile, Celebrate Gugma,” carries a responsibility to ensure that the people who help make MassKara vibrant are also included in its opportunities and benefits.
“That is what MassKara For All stands for — inclusion, opportunity, and a celebration where every sector matters,” Ascalon said.
The ambulant vendors’ financial report follows the announcement of approximately ₱21.5 million in food park sales from kiosk operations at the Bacolod Public Plaza and Government Center Grounds during MassKara Festival 2026.
Reports covering ambulant vendors and peddlers along Lacson Tourism Strip are expected to be released separately, with their figures excluded from the current ₱10.818 million total.
The additional reports are expected to provide a broader picture of the economic activity generated by street vending and small-scale commerce throughout the festival, the press release said.
The reported ₱10.818 million represents sales rather than net profit and does not account for vendors’ operating expenses.*
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