MassKara Festival in

Bacolod: Everything You

Need to Know
 Origin of MassKara Festival

• The MassKara Festival can trace its roots back to the 1980s and was
born out of a crisis. It was during the time when the province's main
livelihood, sugar, was priced at an all-time low because of
alternatives introduced in the market, which resulted in one of the
worst famines in the country's history that affected an estimated one
million people. It was also the time when a tragic ferry accident
happened, which carried mostly people from the province including
those from prominent families of Bacolod. To lift the spirits of the
locals and bring back the smiles on their faces, the MassKara Festival
was created. The smiling masks were a declaration of the people of
Bacolod City that they will pull through and survive the challenges
and tragedies that they are facing.
• The Arts Association of Bacolod-Negros, headed by Rodney
Martinez, conducted workshops around Negros and taught the
residents on how to make masks using coconut husks and paper
mâché.
• Originally, these masks were created just to be sold to tourists and
to generate income, and not for a festival that they were yet to
conceptualize. The colorful masks created by the local residents
were supposedly a signature souvenir of the province and to get
the attention of foreign visitors.
• Luckily, the idea was a hit and tourists started buying the masks as
they were light and easy to bring around. Visitors can also wear
them while touring the Bacolod tourist spots
History of MassKara Festival

• MassKara means many faces and is derived from combining “mass”,

which means a crowd or the general population, and kara from the
Spanish word cara which means face. It also echoes the
words maskara (Filipino) and mascara (Spanish), both of which refer
to mask, the central prop of the festival. The name of the festival is
credited to Ely Santiago, then president of the Arts Association of
Bacolod. MassKara Festival was conceived to address the suffering of
the people and as an expression of hope, optimism, and resilience
amidst challenging times. Over the years, it has become the
centerpiece of tourism industry of the city
• on April of 1980, the city was engulfed in deep sorrow upon the news
that the ship MV Don Juan sank to the depths of the sea in Tablas
Strait minutes after it collided with an oil tanker. Many of its
passengers Additionally, natural disasters caused undue suffering to
the already vulnerable people. Peace and order situation was volatile
due to the increasing tension from communist insurgency.were
residents of Negros and reported missing.
• It”s a lively and colorful event featuring elaborate masks and
costumes, street dancing, and vibrant parades. The festival is known
for its joyful atmosphere and is a celebration of bacolod’s resilience
and spirit in the face of challenges