MassKara Festival food park sales hit PHP17 million

By Glazyl M. Jopson and Dolly Yasa

The recently concluded 46th MassKara Festival generated PHP17 million in food park sales across two major sites — the Bacolod City Public Plaza and the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) grounds — from Oct. 1 to 19.

Based on final reports from concessionaires, the figure reflects the festival’s role as a major economic driver for local vendors and small businesses.

The Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc. (BGFI) reported PHP11.87 million in total sales at the public plaza, making it the top-performing site.

Grilling stalls at the plaza earned PHP8.82 million, with over PHP5.8 million of that amount generated between Oct. 11 and 19, the festival’s final week.

Food carts added PHP2 million in sales, while dry goods vendors brought in PHP1.03 million.

A total of 79 vendors operated at the public plaza — 29 grilling kiosks, 20 food carts, and 30 dry goods stalls.

Meanwhile, the BCGC grounds recorded PHP5.19 million in total sales, also led by grilling kiosks, which earned PHP4.79 million.

The most profitable period at the BCGC was from Oct. 15 to 19, when grilling sales alone surpassed PHP2 million.

Food carts at the BCGC earned PHP396,415, benefiting from strong evening foot traffic during family-oriented shows.

While specific dry goods sales figures at BCGC were not declared, 26 dry goods vendors participated, along with 20 grilling stalls and 12 food carts — totaling 58 vendors.

Despite lower overall sales, the BCGC site offered a more spacious, family-friendly venue and remained busy through the festival’s final stretch.

Festival Director and BGFI President Rodney Mitz Ascalon said the income generated was more than just a financial metric.

“Each peso earned tells a story of community resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, and cultural pride,” Ascalon said. “We didn’t just fill the streets with smiles — we filled homes with income and hope.”

In all, more than 130 vendors benefited directly from the food parks, highlighting MassKara’s importance to Bacolod’s micro and seasonal entrepreneurs.

The PHP17 million in reported sales does not include earnings from other festival zones, roaming vendors, or unofficial stalls — suggesting the total economic impact may be even higher.

As of this writing, final figures from the Lacson Tourism Strip, one of the festival’s key highlight areas, have yet to be released.