Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Mangilmutan and Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (l-r) at the MassKara sa Panaad Monday night.*Richard Malihan photo
The opening of the pavilions of the towns and cities of Negros Occidental at the Panaad Park in Bacolod City to visitors once every month is initially being eyed, Victorias Mayor Javier Benitez, Negros Association of Chief Executives president, said Monday, October 10.
The pavilions at the park usually only open annually for the week-long Panaad sa Negros in the summer.
The annual Panaad sa Negros has not been held for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic but will be celebrated again in 2023.
Benitez said after the Local Government Units spent for the repairs of their pavilions they should at least be opened to the public once every month. “There should be something more regular,” he said.
He said opening the pavilions at the park every weekend is a bit too ambitious for now. “But if there are enough tourists every weekend, why not,” Benitez said.
Benitez said he has proposed the plan to Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez and verbally they are open to it.
They are also exploring putting up a theme park or water park at the Panaad, he said, but “we’re still dreaming at this point but everybody is on board.”*