Bacolod Gugma Foundation to lead MassKara Festival 2025

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The city government has officially tapped the Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc. as the new organizer of the MassKara Festival, signaling a fresh chapter for the city’s most iconic celebration.

Rodney Mitz Ascalon will serve as both foundation president and festival director.

Councilor Al Espino confirmed in a media interview Thursday that Mayor Greg Gasataya selected the foundation to lead this year’s festivities.

Espino said the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has accredited the group and is expected to grant the mayor authority next week to sign a memorandum of agreement with the foundation.

He also said the City Council met with the foundation’s core members on Wednesday.

Named after the Hiligaynon word for “love,” the Gugma Foundation reflects Gasataya’s goal of bringing the festival back to the people.

“Gugma is more than love. It’s service. It’s sacrifice. It’s giving without asking in return,” Ascalon said in a statement.

“That’s what this foundation stands for — and what this year’s MassKara will reflect,” he added.

The foundation’s board includes lawyer Hannah Lea Tañoso Dela Torre as corporate secretary and head of legal affairs; Joanna Angelica Ortillo as treasurer and head of marketing and community engagement; Edsel Prado as head of accounting and finance; and Christine Panes-Ceraspe as head of administration and secretariat operations.

Dela Torre will ensure compliance and legal integrity, while Ortillo will lead marketing and community outreach.

Prado will oversee financial transparency and accountability, and Ceraspe will manage administrative coordination.

The foundation envisions MassKara 2025 as a grassroots-led, community-centered celebration that highlights Bacolod’s culture and spirit.

“This marks a new chapter for Bacolod’s most iconic celebration — a vibrant return to its roots,” the foundation said in a statement.

“MassKara 2025 is not just a return to form — it’s a return to heart,” it added.

The transition ends the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation Inc.’s three-year tenure as festival organizer under former Mayor and now Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez.