Estefania Elementary wins back-to-back MassKara street dance titles

1 of 2

By Glazyl M. Jopson and Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — Estefania Elementary School clinched back-to-back grand champion titles in the MassKara Street Dance and Arena Competition school category on Saturday, Oct. 18, marking a triumphant return to the city’s iconic festival.

The competition made its comeback during the 46th MassKara Festival under Mayor Greg Gasataya’s leadership, with seven public elementary schools participating despite heavy rains brought by Tropical Cyclone Ramil.

Estefania’s performance, “Dancing in the Rain, Through a Child’s Eye,” turned city streets into a vibrant stage, celebrating the resilience and joy of children amid adversity.

Choreographed by Jodette Maghari and Jackylyn R. Montes, with costumes by Joan De Paula and Analyn Reosura and masks designed by Josephine Tan and Suzette Dumaicos, the performance stood out for its creativity, energy, and emotional impact.

Estefania won major and special awards including Best in Music, Best in Theme and Concept, the Kapuso Choice Award, and the grand prize of PHP 750,000 plus PHP 20,000 from DITO Telecom.

Teacher Jackylyn R. Montes, also a DepEd trainer at Luis Hervias National High School, shared that this year’s approach relied on internal collaboration, with teachers leading the choreography for a more unified and community-driven creative process.

“It’s overwhelming,” Montes said. “The parents and teachers were all willing to help — even providing food and support every day. Everyone was very welcoming, like one big family. That made it easier for us to guide the children.”

Estefania previously won the grand championship in 2019, before the school category was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and excluded in subsequent editions during former Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez’s tenure.

Festival Director Rodney Ascalon said this year’s event began with arena performances at the Paglaum Sports Complex before transitioning into the street dance segment to allow contingents to showcase complete routines both on stage and in the streets.

“We wanted to give equal spotlight to both parts of the competition,” Ascalon said.

Paglaum Village Elementary School was named first runner-up and received PHP 300,000 plus PHP 10,000 from DITO Telecom, along with awards for Best in Introduction Video, Best in Community Dance, and Most Disciplined Contingent.

Asuncion L. Lizares Elementary School (ALLES) secured second runner-up, taking home PHP 200,000 and PHP 5,000 from DITO Telecom, along with Best in Mask and Costume, Headdress, and the Pocari Sweat “Be at Your Best Moment” Award.

ALLES also topped the Merry Making Competition, followed by Estefania and Paglaum as first and second runners-up, respectively.

All participating schools received a PHP 500,000 subsidy from the Bacolod City Government for production costs, subject to liquidation, as well as a PHP 150,000 participation incentive.

Participating schools included Don Rodolfo A. Medel Sr. Elementary School, Rizal Elementary School, Andres Bonifacio Elementary School II, Asuncion L. Lizares Elementary School, Estefania Elementary School, Education and Training Center School I, and Paglaum Village Elementary School.

Mayor Gasataya emphasized the importance of reviving the school category, calling it a celebration of youth creativity and community pride.

“Rain or shine, the school category goes on,” Gasataya said. “Despite the rain, our students, teachers, and schools displayed incredible dedication.”

He added, “That’s part of our resilience because we are not in control of the climate. What we can do is to make preparations to support the participants. Despite it all, if you look at the children — they are willing to adapt to the situation. That’s the most important thing.”

Gasataya congratulated Estefania Elementary School for its inspiring performance, which he described as a testament to Bacolod’s creativity, teamwork, and the enduring MassKara spirit.