Bacolod City Mayor-elect Greg Gasataya has announced his intention to bring the MassKara Festival’s arena dance competition back to the city plaza, signaling the return of the iconic October celebration to where it should be.
Gasataya, who is set to assume office, believes the MassKara Festival should be celebrated “in the streets and in the plaza of Bacolod, the true center of its spirit.”
If it pushes through, this move marks the departure from recent years, where the arena dance competition was held at the Paglaum Sports Center. It was under the term of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez where chwnges to the street dancing and area competition where introduced.
The incoming mayor also hinted at a possible retention of the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation, Inc., the controversial entity that has previously managed the festival. However, he emphasized that it would operate under a new leadership, except for one individual he plans to keep.
The new leadership of Yuhum he said will be under the guidance of a new festival director, someone he described as “less popular, but proven to be a dedicated worker.”
Gasataya also announced plans to hold the MassKara Queen in a public venue, making the competition accessible to all.
