2023 Panaad sa Negros fest will be a huge success, guv says

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer led provincial government officials in the unveiling of the 2023 Panaad Festival sa Negros official logo and launching ceremony of the festival at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon Tuesday afternoon.

“This year’s festival is more than just a resumption of the festival we were compelled to abandon during the pandemic.”This is a commemoration of our province’s resilience, perseverance, hope, and faith after all we went through for the past three years,” Lacson said.

Lacson also said that the Panaad 2023 Festival will be a huge success and will mark the revival of better and brighter days for the province.

Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena, said that the Panaad sa Negros Festival on April 17 to 23, will feature the “best of the best products” of Negros Occidental.

Decena, who is also the Festival Director, said that preparations are underway, involving different tourism officers, Panaad coordinators, and local government units.

This year’s festival will showcase “the very best of Negros Occidental,” she said.

“This is something to look forward to. This is the plan of the province, to really help those developing and emerging suppliers to excel,” Decena further said.

Festival goers can look forward to three major concerts, dubbed “Konsyerto ni Gov,” set during the opening, midway and closing of the festival and will feature popular nationally-known bands such as Rivermaya, December Avenue, and Itchyworms.

Dubbed as the “mother of all festivals in Negros,” the Panaad festival was suspended for three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Named after the Hiligaynon word for “vow” or “promise”, the Panaad sa Negros showcases 32 themed pavilions of each city and municipality of the province, including the capital Bacolod City, designed either as replicas of their own municipal or city hall, or their most famous products, at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.

This year’s edition of the annual festival will have a budget of P25 million aside from subsidy for each local government unit to spruce up their respective pavilions at the Panaad Park and Stadium.