Negros Occidental, Bacolod City-- After so many years of hearing, reading, and seeing colurful photos about it, I finally was able to go to my first Masskara Festival this year. This is also my second attempt at a photo contest.
Onboard Airphil flight to Bacolod at 4:20am, me and travelbuddies actually almost didn't make it to Bacolod as we orignally booked via PAL-- but that's a whole different story. Luckily, we got flight via AirPhil instead; an earlier flight than what was orginally planned.
It was a blessing in disguise since it allowed our group plenty of time to rest and explore the city before the Masskara main events kicked off.
Held annualy in Bacolod City, also known as The City of Smiles, this celebration, aptly called Festival of Smiles, brings to the streets a parade of floats, street dancers, and performers adorned with lavish and extravagant costumes. The festival started in 1980 in the midst of crisis and tragic events that fell upon the Negrenses. At a time when the price of sugar was at an all-time low, and the province, which relied on sugar cane as its primary agricultural crop, was tremendously affected, the "festival of smiles" emerged as proof of Bacolod City's resiliency towards tragedy.
