There was abundant supply of fruits for sale at the Don Salvador Benedicto Pavilion at the Panaad sa Negros Festival.*Ronnie Baldonado photo
The Panaad sa Negros Festival at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City drew huge crowds during the weekend but sales dropped by 13.76 percent compared to last year.
The total festival sales from March 24 to 30 this year was P16,600, 630 compared to P19,250,439.50 at last year’s festival, or a drop by P2,649,809.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said classes were still ongoing last week and a lot of Negrenses were focused on the start of the campaign period on Friday, which may have contributed to the low sales.
However, there were huge crowds during the weekend, Lacson said.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said sometimes not all sales are declared by some.
He said the garden and organic village vendors asked for another week to continue selling at the Panaad Park.
The festival was successful in terms of the large participation of the local government units in the festival events, and the record number of people at the Panaad, Diaz said.
The LGU performances at the Panaad also greatly improved, “It was a breakthrough in quality and quantity,” Diaz said.
He said next year the staging of the Best of Festival Dances competition may be held on two nights so that it is not too long.
The municipal and city categories could be held on separate nights, Diaz said.
The creation of a Lin-ay academy to prepare candidates for Panaad’s annual beauty pageant is also being planned, he said.*