This Week in Bacolod (October 6 to 12, 2019)

If you love photography, this week’s fine weather will give you a good opportunity to take nice shots. On most of the days this week, the sun will show off. However, there will be areas in Bacolod City that will experience afternoon shower spots with thunderstorms until the weekend. Luckily, these afternoon showers will not last long and will not be heavy. Just always be ready and bring your umbrellas with you. This week’s temperature will range from 30 °C to 32 °C [1].

This coming Masskara Festival, it wouldn’t be as cramped in downtown Bacolod City as the sidewalks are now wider and obstruction free. This is thanks to the compliant street vendors who cooperated in the recent clearing operation headed by Acting Bacolod Mayor El Cid Familiaran.

Executive Assistant for Barangay Affairs Butch Soliguen said that as of September 22, 2019, about 90.23% of all the 11,423 illegal structures in Bacolod City have been demolished [2]. He added that 9,807 illegal structures were voluntarily demolished. But due to legal issues, there are still 1,616 illegal structures that have not yet been torn down.

Acting Bacolod Mayor El Cid Familiaran stated that Mayor Evelio Leonardia has instructed the City Legal Office-Enforcement Unit (CLO) to clear illegal structures street by street after the clearing operations of commercial districts. On matters concerning illegal structures, Familiaran said that these should be documented and forwarded to the CLO and only the court can decide of its demolition.

Road closures and reroutings during the 40th MassKara Festival from October 7 to 27 will be implemented as per Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) [3]. During the briefing with BTAO, Police Lieutenant Colonel Luisito Acebuche stated that the Bacolod downtown area will be closed from 4 PM to 4 AM of the following day. The closure will start from Rizal Street and Gatuslao Street to Gonzaga Street and San Juan Street.

To ensure the smooth flow of traffic during the month-long festival, 70 traffic enforcers will be deployed in the downtown area. For the opening of the Masskara Festival on October 7, the designated parking area will be at the back of the Bacolod Public Plaza.

Acebuche also confirmed that there will be a traffic rerouting scheme at the downtown area during the festival. This scheme will be implemented for southbound public utility vehicles (PUVs) on October 25 to 26. He added that a separate road closure will also be implemented on October 25 to 27 at the Tourism Street along Lacson Street. Thus, a one-way traffic scheme will be implemented at Gatuslao and Aguinaldo Street. A one-way traffic scheme will also be implemented from October 7 to 27 in Villa Angela and Helvetia Street. 84 traffic enforcers will be deployed in these areas.

Also part of BTAO’s traffic plan is to implement the truck ban at the Circumferential Road. This will take effect From October 7 to 27. Moreover, the team will push for a total of 390 traffic enforcers, including the barangays force multipliers.

To ensure peace and order during the celebration of the 40th MassKara Festival, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has requested 1,600 police officers from Police Regional Office (PRO)-Western Visayas to augment the BCPO’s existing personnel [4].

BCPO Spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico said they are waiting for the approval of the PRO-Western Visayas for the augmentation of personnel. He says that additional personnel will help in maintaining the peace and order of the festival. He added that they will secure the safety of everybody in the festival sites and hot spots like the Bacolod Government Center, the public plaza, Lacson Street, and the Manokan Country area.

Additional safety measures are also in place. Backpacks, ball caps, bladed weapons, and pointed sticks are prohibited at the festival sites. The public is also prohibited from wearing more than two t-shirts. BCPO also requested to PRO-Western Visayas the suspension of the permit to carry of firearms outside residence during the 40th MassKara Festival from October 7 to 27.

Go to Yoorekka to get Masskara Festival guides and place recommendations in Bacolod City!