Marcos Jr. to attend culmination of Masskara Festival

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos is expected to attend the culmination of the world-renowned Masskara Festival in Bacolod City today as a show of his resolve to revive the tourism industry, one of the sectors hardest-hit by the pandemic.

“The President’s attendance at the world-renowned festivity is a testament to his commitment to promoting local tourism in a bid to revive the country’s tourism industry amid the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement yesterday.

The President is expected to be joined by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte during the festivities, which were cancelled the past two years due to the pandemic.

The theme of the 43rd Masskara Festival is “Balik Yuhum!” which means “smile again.”

In his message on Friday, Marcos called on Filipinos to participate in the annual revelry and at the same time explore Bacolod, which is widely known as the “City of Smiles.”

“This world-renowned festival was conceived to counter the despondency brought about by the challenges of the time. Today, as we find ourselves facing a similar dilemma, let this year’s festivity resonate ever so deeply and find even greater meaning in its joyful observance,” the President said.

“May the vivid colors and smiles so common and abundant during the festivities serve as declarations of resilience, even as we tackle our deepest concerns and overcome our greatest hurdles, especially now that we are steadily gaining ground on the difficult task of nation-building,” he said.

The Chief Executive has repeatedly cited the tourism sector as among the country’s “high potential drivers for economic transformation.”

Marcos is optimistic that through the efforts and initiatives of the Department of Tourism, the Philippines will be able to restore its tourism figures to pre-pandemic levels, creating more job opportunities and bringing economic progress.

The MassKara Festival began in 1980 following a series of sugar crisis suffered by Bacolodnons and Negrenses. Specifically, the crisis was caused by the oversupply of sugar in the international market that caused world sugar prices to drop.

The smiling colorful masks used in the festival are a symbol of their resiliency and unity despite challenges and problems.

Before the festival, Marcos is scheduled to attend the inauguration of The Upper East and the unveiling of the township marker in Bacolod City, according to the OPS.

The President earlier declared Oct. 31, which falls on a Monday, as a special non-working holiday in hopes of strengthening family ties and promoting domestic tourism as Filipinos observe this year’s All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.

In a speech at the recent Philippine Tourism Industry Convergence in Pasay City, Marcos expressed optimism that the tourism sector would experience a successful revival after the pandemic because of the country’s greatest asset – its people.
“And the greatest asset that we have in the Philippines are the 107 million Filipinos who are a young, well-trained workforce, who are as kind a people, who are as hospitable people, as gracious a people as you will find anywhere in the world,” Marcos stressed.
“Those advantages are what we are going to present to again, as I said, reintroduce to the rest of the world,” he said.

However, the President said tourism promotions must be actively done and the country’s infrastructure must be improved to make tourist destinations more accessible.