SM Bacolod celebrates MassKara

MANILA, Philippines - It will be a star-studded celebration this month as SM City Bacolod joins in the MassKara Festival with contests, sales and performances that capture its pomp and pageantry.

As they arrive at the new Bacolod Silay Airport, tourists are welcomed to a Festival Tourism Booth organized by the SM Department.

The revelry at SM City Bacolod began with the launch of My City, My SM campaign last Oct. 1 at the mall, with Vice Mayor Jude Taddeus Sayson leading a toast and announcing the opening of the 2010 festival. The tourism-oriented event, which honored Raymund Javellana of The Ruins; as well as Association of Negros Producers board members Mary Ann Colmenares, Cathy Sicangco-Hagad, Christina Gaston and Josephine Lacson, featured the attractions, history, culture, lifestyles and products of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.

Great bargains and finds are in store for mallgoers during the festivities: A mall-wide MassKara sale until Oct. 19 where one can get up to 50 percent discount on great selections, and a Double Your Rewards Points promo from the SM Advantage Card for every P1,000 single receipt purchase until Oct. 20.

Daniel Matsunaga will meet and greet shoppers today

There was MassKara Cosplay and Photo Blogging Competition showcasing cosplayers in their best manga, animé, comic book, video game and fantasy movie characters. It was held last Oct. 10 at the Event Center. The It’s in the Smile MassKara Making Competition, on the other hand, asks Engineering and Fine Arts students to submit masks applying modern and futuristic designs. The entries will be displayed at the North Al Fresco area until Oct. 19

Now on its third year, the SM Department Store’s Design Your Own MassKara Slippers contest is open to shoppers with a P500-minimum purchase from the shoes, bags and luggage departments, inclusive of any style of Beachwalk slippers, which will be used as the official entry.

Entries should be wearable and highlight the MassKara theme, and will be judged according to the following criteria: 40 percent, originality; 30 percent, relevance to festival theme; 20 percent, use of color and indigenous materials; and 10 percent, overall appeal. Five thousand worth of SM gift cards will be given to each of the winners in the Men’s, Ladies’ and Children’s categories. The awarding will be today at 4 p.m. at the Event Center of SM Bacolod.

Daniel Matsunaga and Fabio Ide take centerstage today at the Event Center. They will sing and meet fans at the SM Department Store’s Mario D’Boro.

The Sigaboom Competition, the pioneering drumbeating contest in the Negro Island, will cap the festivities on Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. at the N1-B Carpark of SM City Bacolod. The competition showcases the Filipino’s genuine talent for drumming, choreographed dancing by merging ethnic and modern-styles and costumes.

The festival is held every October and culminates in the weekend nearest Oct. 19, which is the Charter Anniversary of Bacolod, and SM has been active in it since it opened its mall in the city.