P1M up for Masskara street dance  winner

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Bacolod Yuhum Foundation president Atty. Pinky Mirano-Ocampo said on Tuesday that this year’s Masskara street dance winner will take home a P1 million cash prize.

Bacolod Yuhum Foundation, this year’s organizer of the Masskara festival, held a press conference and signing of a memorandum of agreement with four of the major sponsors at the Scarborough Seafood restaurant.

Mirano-Ocampo said that the preparation for this year’s festival is in full gear after a 2-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The festival is set to officially start on October 1, 2022, and will run until October 23, 2022.

The Masskara kickoff and salubong dubbed the Grand Masskara Countdown starts at 4 p.m. on Sept 30 until 1 a.m. on Oct 1, 2022.

Mirano-Ocampo said the winner will receive P1 million in cash while prizes for the runners-up will be announced later.

The previous Masskara dance street contest winner, Barangay  Estefania, won P250,00 in the 2019 edition of the festival.

Seventeen barangays will compete in the Masskara street dance contest while 13 others will join the electric Masskara float and dance-off competition with a grand prize of P500,000.

“This year’s Masskara festival will be different,” she added.

While she declined to divulge the estimated budget for the Masskara festival this year, Mirano Ocampo said it is substantial adding that there are still major sponsors.

Signing the MOA with the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation as major sponsors were Jeremy Losbanes, territorial sales manager of San Miguel Brewery; George Jardiolin, SM City Mall manager; Jennifer Ann P. Fong, Megaworld Visayas vice president for sales and marketing; and Rafael Jasper Vicencio, Bingo Plus president.

Mirano-Ocampo also said that the Presidential family is definitely coming for the festivities.

She said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, First Lady Loise “Liza” Araneta Marcos and their children will be coming most likely during the third week of the festivities.

There is no definite date yet but definitely, they are coming, Mirano-Ocampo said.

She also said that other dignitaries will grace the festivities.

PEACE AND ORDER, HOTEL BOOKINGS

Mirano Ocampo said hotel bookings in the city are almost full especially hotels located along Lacson street, one of the venues for Masskara festival activities such as the electric Masskara float and dance-off competition.

She also said they expect around 200,000 spectators in this year’s festivities.

She assured that the law enforcers are prepared to ensure peace and order during the festivities adding that the Philippine National Police regional office will be sending an additional 800 policemen to augment the local police force.