MassKara Festival, A Celebration of Life

I have always been fascinated with masks since I was a child. I am especially fond of masquerade masks, just like the ones they wore in "The Phantom of the Opera". In fact, I used to beg my mom to buy me one every single Halloween. But she would refuse because my other sisters were afraid of it.

Here's a picture of me at a Venetian masks souvenir shop in Las Vegas, 2009.

It's no wonder I immediately got excited when I first heard about the MassKara Festival of Bacolod. This festival sounds like fun. With all the dancing and intricate costumes, this could well be the most colorful fiesta in the country.

I had a lot of friends who hailed from Bacolod. My mom herself was an Ilongga from the nearby province of Antique. According to my mom, the smiling masks worn by the streetdancers were a symbol of the locals' happy spirit. Their ability to smile in the face of poverty, brought about by periodic instability in the sugar industry. Which is by the way, the town's main source of livelihood.

The smiling masks at the MassKara Festival in Bacolod.

Bacolod is definitely going right on the top of my list of places to see. I want to witness the colorfully-masked dancers and be a part of the MassKara Festival. I want a taste of the native Ilonggo cuisine at the food festival. I want to explore the history and culture of the area. I want to connect with the place by getting to know the locals.

The MassKara Festival is for everyone anyway. A celebration of our triumph over trials, of abundance over poverty, of victory over tragedy.  After all, life itself is one big celebration.

"Experience MassKara Festival, Hermosa Festival and Lanzones Festival this October. Airphil Express flies daily to BACOLOD, ZAMBOANGA and CAGAYAN DE ORO from Cebu and Manila. Visit www.airphilexpress.com to book!"