Our Lady of the Holy Rosary feast, part of MassKara Festival

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  – The Silver MassKara Festival Organization (SMFO), organizer of the festival since 2004, will be a partner for the 2nd year of the Bacolod Diocese in celebrating the 13th anniversary of the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary this October.

Father Felix Pasquin, rector of the San Sebastian Cathedral, said the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is the secondary patron of Bacolod next to San Sebastian. He said the celebration will kick off with a 9-day Novenario, starting today, Sept. 30, to October 8 with the culminating rites, dubbed as "Pasidungog Kay Maria," on Oct. 9.

Pasquin said the diocese used to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary every Oct. 7 but last year, Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra issued a decree designating every second Sunday of October for culmination of the feast, which falls on the 9th day this year. The concept of the feast was done by Bro. Jaazel Jakosalem and executed by his brother Agustin, said Pasquin.

Festival director Eli F.J. Tajanlangit said the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is a major event of the 32nd MassKara Festival. Organizers declared that the feast is a very significant event because, for 31 years, there were claims that the MassKara is a pagan festival and has no religious significance to it. This time the festival carries a religious dimension, said Tajanlangit.

Tajanlangit said the cultural significance of the icon is that in the Catholic Church, most icons have Western faces while the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Bacolod has a Visayas feature.

Pasquin also lauded the SMFO for recognizing the Pope John Paul II Tower, one of the New Icons of Bacolod, which has become a popular draw to tourists and pilgrims. The Tower will be included in the tours of visitors for the MassKara Festival, said Tajanlangit.

This year's 19-day MassKara Festival will open tomorrow, Oct. 1, with a switch-on of the bandstand lights at the Bacolod Public Plaza, after which will be the elimination round of GMA TV's 1st MassKara Dance Showdown by 20 competing groups performing their respective dance genres such as hip-hop, gymnastics, martial arts, jazz, breakdance, contemporary and tribal.

Ten finalists will be chosen for the grand competition during the festival's culminating day on Oct. 19, said Tajanlangit, adding that the contest will produce a new breed of dancers and make the MassKara celebration accessible to everybody.

Another major event of the festival is the Electric MassKara, now on its 5th year, which has earned a distinction as another mardi gras of the festival. It will be held in two venues – the Tourism Strip along Lacson Street and Rizal Street between the SM City buildings – on Oct. 14 and 15.

On Oct. 14, ten Bacolod barangays would compete in the Performing Float Competition, and on the second night, Oct. 15, corporate floats will join the Electric Float Parade along with the top three winners of the previous day contest.

For two nights, the Electric MassKara will showcase carnival-like activities and colorfully-lit dancers performing on the floats before a crowd lining up along the two sides of the street venues, which would also be filled with kiosks of foods and drinks.  (FREEMAN)