Barangay Tangub dancers, paying tribute to “The Evolving Spirit of MassKara,” won the Grand Championship title and four minor awards at the MassKara Festival 2025 Arena and Streetdance Competition – Barangay Category on Sunday, October 19.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who spoke at the start of arena competition at the Paglaum Stadium in Bacolod City, said the MassKara Festival is not only a celebration of beauty but is also a testament to the city and its people’s capacity to rise above uncertainties.
“The story of MassKara reminds the world that amidst hardship, there is hope. Here in Bacolod, you have turned challenges into celebration, and despair into determination”, Frasco said.
“That is why everyone that comes to Bacolod, including myself, feels the spirit that makes this truly the City of Smiles: vibrant, creative, and full of hope,” she added.
For over four decades, the MassKara Festival has transformed Bacolod into a colorful display of festivities and creativity, providing a gateway for tourists to explore the rest of the city’s attractions, including its unique local gastronomy, art scene, and historical sites, she said.
“So today, as we cheer for our MassKara performers, let us celebrate not just the beauty of the masks, but the strength of all the people of Bacolod: happy, hopeful, and victorious at all times,” she told the crowd at the stadium.
Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Mayor Greg Gasataya led the city officials present at the stadium.
Col. Joeresty Coronica, Bacolod police director, estimated the crowd at the Arena Competition at the Paglaum Stadium and the Street Dancing Parade that culminated in an evening of merrymaking and the announcement of winners at the Bacolod Public Plaza at close to 30,000.
Barangay Tangub, under the creative direction of choreographers Joedem Casabuena and Mark Philip Lamirez, and Mask Designer Christopher John Puerta, as grand champion took home ₱1,000,000 in cash, plus ₱20,000 each from DITO Telecom and Mang Inasal, Bacolod Gugma Foundation, the festival’s organizer, announced.
Tangub also won special awards for Best in Mask and Costume, Best in Music, Best in Theme/Concept, and Most Disciplined Contingent.
Barangay Bata led by choreographer, mask and costume designer Ronelo Mabilog was the first runner up and won P500,000 plus ₱10,000 from DITO Telecom and the award for Best in Introduction.
The Barangay 29 contingent directed by choreographer, mask and costume designer Segundo Jesus “Panoy” Cabalcar Jr. was the second runner up.
Barangay 29 was also the champion in the Community Dance and Merry Making, taking home ₱300,000 and ₱5,000 from DITO Telecom.
Festival Director Rodney Mitz Ascalon expressed his pride and gratitude for the participating contingents.
“MassKara has always been more than just a festival — it is a reflection of Bacolod’s soul. Rain or shine, our people continue to smile, create, and celebrate life together. This is the true essence of Gugma and the heart of every Bacolodnon”, he said.
“This year’s MassKara Arena and Streetdance Competition once again proved that Bacolod’s strength lies in its people — their artistry, unity, and the ever-present smile that continues to define the City of Smiles,” he added.
The MassKara Festival began in 1980 when Bacolod and the province of Negros Occidental were reeling from a drastic plunge in sugar prices, compounded by the devastating sinking of the MV Don Juan.
The ship, which collided with the tanker Tacloban City and sank in Tablas Strait off Mindoro, resulted in 18 lives lost and 115 missing, many of them Negrenses.
In the midst of those tragedies, the local government, then headed by the late Mayor Jose “Digoy” Montalvo, who had also lost family members in the MV Don Juan sinking, made the pivotal decision to hold a “festival of smiles” to lift the spirits of the people.*
