Electric MassKara kicks off today, streetdance tomorrow

CEBU, Philippines - The 32nd MassKara Festival fever comes to its finale week with the opening of the 5th Electric MassKara tonight (Oct. 14) and the streetdance competitions tomorrow (Oct. 15).

The 5th Electric MassKara will be held in two venues: At the Tourism Strip along Lacson St. and at Rizal St., between SM City buildings. It will feature Performing Float Competitions on the first night (Oct. 14) to be participated by 10 barangays of the city.

The float parade kicks off at 7 p.m. at SM City and will proceed to the Tourism Strip where there will be performances of Brgys. 2, 3, 11, 23, 30, 39, Alijis, Bata, Cabug, and Taculing.

On the second night (Oct. 15), also at 7 p.m., corporate floats will join the Electric Float Parade, including the top three winners of the performing float competition the previous night. Also for two nights, there will be concerts at four different venues along Tourism Strip, and at Rizal St. in SM City.

On these dates, traffic will shut down partially starting 12 noon and will shut down totally starting 4 p.m., festival organizers said as they clarified that during the Electric MassKara celebration, tents, tables and chairs will no longer be allowed at the Tourism Strip.

This was intended to allow bigger space for people traffic and the parade, which will have bigger floats. Establishments that have their own private parking spaces and sidewalks can set up tables there, organizers added.

Eleven schools will be competing in the streetdance competition on Sunday (Oct. 15) starting at 4 p.m. from the plaza for the contest arenas.

The competing schools in the elementary category are: Banago Elementary School (District I), Bata ES II (District II), Asuncion Lizares ES (District III), Graciano Lopez Jaena ES (District IV), J.R. Torres ES (District V), Education Training Center Schools (ETCS) I (District VI), and Sum-ag ES (District VII).

For secondary schools, these are: Domingo Lacson National High School (Unit I), ABKASA NHS (Unit II), Luisa Medel NHS (Unit II), and Rufina E. Nessia NHS-Sum-ag Extension (Unit IV).

For the streetdancing barangay category, 15 barangays are competing on Sunday (Oct.16) at 4 p.m. These are Brgys. 3, 4, 9, 11, 17, 23, 26, 28, 37, 39, Alijis, Bata, Banago, Tangub, and Felisa.

For the first time in 32 years, the barangay category will use live music using drums and percussion instruments, said Rudy Reveche, streetdance committee chair. (FREEMAN)