Bacolod City – Councilor Jason Villarosa, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on tourism, said that the subsidies for contingents participating in the 2025 MassKara Festival has been approved.
The resolution granting Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya authority to sign the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the City of Bacolod and the Department of Education (DepEd) represented by Schools Division Superintendent Dennis Develos, for financial assistance amounting to P3.5 million or P500,000 for every school that will participate in the MassKara arena and streetdance competition (school category), was approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod recently.
The participating schools are Andres Bonifacio Elementary School, Estefania Elementary School, Asuncion Lizares Elementary School, Paglaum Village Elementary School, Rizal Elementary School, Education and Training Center School 1, and Rodolfo A. Medel Sr. Elementary School.
The SP also passed a resolution granting Gasataya authority to sign the MOA between the City of Bacolod and barangays 6, 7, 11, 13, 21, 29, 39, Bata, Handumanan and Tangub that will participate in the MassKara arena and streedance competition.
Meanwhile, the SP passed another resolution granting the mayor authority to sign the MOA between the City and Bacolod and barangays 2, 5, 12, 17, 19, 32, 33, 34, Cabug, Granada, and Mansilingan for the grant of financial assistance for their participation in the Electric MassKara competition.
Under the approved funding, each participating barangay in the street dance and arena competition will receive P750,000 while the school contingents will receive P500,000. Participants of the Electric MassKara will get P300,000.
The subsidies are shouldered by the Bacolod City government.
Villarosa stated that they will be giving deadlines to barangays to liquidate their budget.
He added that since this is the first MassKara under the administration of Mayor Greg Gasataya, they want every performance to be world class.
Ten barangays and seven schools are the confirmed numbers of participants for the street dance and arena competition, while 12 groups will be joining the Electric MassKara.
Meanwhile, the Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc. announced that they will be having a ‘Mask On’ The Grand MassKara Launch over-the-weekend, where the official music for this year’s festival will be finally released.