About the theme

2011 MassKara to focus on new icons

Bacolod’s skyline and landmarks are changing, an indisputable proof of how the “City of Smiles” had soared higher from being a simple town more than 70 years ago, to the “growth center” that it is now.

“This year’s MassKara Festival will focus on these new icons—landmarks, structures, institutions, and even personalities—that have dramatically transformed Bacolod in recent years,” festival director Eli Francis Tajanlangit said.

“Celebrating the New Icons of Bacolod,” the theme of this year’s festival, points out how far the city had gone in terms of these developments, he said.

Some of these new icons are the Bacolod City Government Center, the Blessed Pope John Paul II Tower, SM City Bacolod, East View Hotel, L’Fisher Chalet, Planta Hotel, East Block, Art District, and Forest Park, he said.

The theme also supports the”Balik Bacolod” program that Mayor Evelio Leonardia has launched in the United States. The program is aimed at bringing balikbayans to Bacolod in October for the 32nd MassKara Festival. Bacoleno expats should see these new icons to see how far their city has gone.

Balik-Bacolod, Leonardia said, is essentially “a reunion of Bacoleños from all walks of life, brought together to celebrate the joys of life as one big community,”

Tajanlangit said this October is the best time for our balikbayans to come home, rediscover Bacolod and witness what has become of their city.

He said this year’s theme is actually a spin-off to the 2007 MassKara Festival theme, “Icons of Bacolod,” that was intended as an awareness campaign on “the things we love about Bacolod.”

“As we go back to the original meaning of the festival, we find that MassKara is a celebration of everything the Bacolod community has achieved,” Tajanlangit said.

“Many of these reasons for celebration are the new landmarks in our midst. We may have ignored or overlooked them but they’re here, and they’re worth celebrating,” he added.*