Masskara Festival : Invasions of Smiles
Posted by Potpot
- 8874 Views
- October 26th, 2013
- in Arts and Culture, Festivals, Philippines
- 4 Comments
The Philippines is home to some of the world’s most vibrant festivals. It is a nation that celebrates fiestas all year round. Every 3rd week of October, Bacolod City becomes the country’s epicenter of maddening parties as it celebrates the annual Masskara Festival. Its exhilarating vibe and dazzling spectacle draw people of all ages and races in one huge live stage.
Listed as one of the Philippines’ major cultural festivals, Masskara has been running for the past 34 years. It came about as the Negrenses’ way of momentarily forgetting all the troubles brought by the dwindling of the sugar industry. Resilient to its economic oddities, Bacolod rose to the challenge and masked its desolation with happy faces.
Rightful to its description as multitude of smiling faces, this festival imbibes exultant feelings. Their use of the smiling mask as a dramatic device pimps the intensity of fun its visitors are about to experience. While masks have been used in antiquity by all nations in the world, Bacolod’s interpretations of it are just outrageously beautiful. From a blank fiberglass canvass, its visual patterns are meticulously handcrafted with beads, sequins, tassels and feathers to come up with one masterpiece.
2014 is themed as “One Rhythm. One Bacolod. A Million Smiles”. Beyond being known for its affluent families, sugar cane haciendas and chicken barbeque, this elite city has taken much economic conveniences comparable to other metropolis in the country. It invites the world to see and revel how much they have progressed and what else this City of Smiles has to offer.

Hello, I am Potpot
Number of Entries : 417Betwixt and between the arthritic 40 and a horrendous body mass index of positive 30, escapism and yummyeology are my real-life double post-graduate degrees conferred with the highest honors. I lived nearly half of my life in fancy suitcases, jetsetting between reality and fantasy... read more
Comments ( 4 )
Blimey!! How do you know that I am In Japan at the moment? Yes, I am and coming back to the Philippines on 14th November. Looking forward to seeing you again.
Because I haven’t heard from you for quite sometime. Oh, enjoy home. Always take care. Text me when you are “home” in the Philippines. Score me a nice Japanese fan. 🙂
Although a large majority of foreign masks are poker‐faced, all the masks are smiling here as you say. Considering the sorrowful past of Negros, their strong vitality has been conveyed to me.
hello satoshi! how are you my friend? we haven’t seen each other again since your last move. are you in japan now?