The 26th Panaad sa Negros Festival opens today at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.
With the theme “Beyond a Promise…A Legacy,” the weeklong celebration runs until April 14.
The activities today start with a thanksgiving mass at 8 a.m. to be followed by ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the Festival Costumes Exhibit, Trade Fair, Organic Village, Bamboo Village, Eco-Garden Show, Food Park, Livestock and Dairy Fair, and Solid Waste Management Advocacy; a parade of lechon (roast pigs) will also highlight today’s celebration.
The motorcade will start at 2 p.m. from the Provincial Capitol grounds to the Panaad Park.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. will lead the opening ceremonies at 4 p.m., together with Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members.
There will also be guests from the neighboring provinces.
Sen. Cynthia Villar is the invited keynote speaker during the opening program.
Gov. Maranon and Vice Gov. Lacson will also give their respective speeches during the program.
All mayors and Panaad Festival coordinators will raise their towns and cities’ respective banners while the Panaad banner will be raised by the festival’s executive director, Dr. Ma. Lina Sanogal.
There will be Best of Festival Dances Competition after the opening ceremonies, to be followed by GMA Kapuso Fiesta showcasing Manila-based celebrities, RMN’s Panaad Hip Hop Challenge 2019 and Panaad Fireworks Display.
Panaad Festival is a thanksgiving celebration for the good life that its people have been blessed with through the years.
Through the years, the major feature of the Panaad Festival is the showcase of 32 themed pavilions of each city and municipality of the province, designed as either replicas of either their own municipal or city hall, or the famous product it is known for; more renovations were made by the LGUs this year that portray their cultural and tourism activities and investment opportunities as well.* (Capitol News via NDB)10