Organizers of the 46th MassKara Festival vowed to bring the celebration “back to the people” with more inclusive and community-driven events from October 1 to 19.
At the grand launch on Saturday, Mayor Greg Gasataya and festival director Rodney Mitz Ascalon of the Bacolod Gugma Foundation unveiled the theme, “One Smile, One City, One Heart.”
“The most unique for this year is we’re giving back the festival to the people. We have various inter-barangay competitions, a barangay trade fair, and the return of Miss Bacolod MassKara queens from the past. We’re really concentrating on the roots and the heart of this celebration, which is the people,” Ascalon said.
This year’s edition will feature sectoral programs honoring persons with disabilities, senior citizens, market vendors, tricycle drivers, and grassroots talents.
Gasataya expressed hope that the festival would uplift residents of Barangay 27, where nearly a thousand families recently lost their homes in a fire. “I believe our celebration of MassKara 2025 will be able to show them that they can rise from the tragedy because of each one’s support,” he said.
The official festival logo, called Mass-Kasingkasing, was designed by artist Romaine Salmingo. Inspired by the Hiligaynon word for “heart,” it combines the smiling mask with Bacolod’s cultural icons — sugarcane, San Sebastian Cathedral, local delicacies, and sunbursts symbolizing innovation and growth.
