Precious Paula Nicole pops off as the Philippines’ first Drag Race Superstar

by Manila Bulletin Entertainment

After an exciting two months of Pinoy-flavored mini and maxi challenges, fierce runway looks, and regular doses of drama, Precious Paula Nicole bested 11 other Filipino drag queens to become the Philippines’ first-ever Drag Race Superstar.

The hit global drag phenomenon “Drag Race Philippines” historic first season premiered on August
17, 2022, on discovery+, HBO GO, and WOW Presents Plus featuring 12 of the fiercest, most
fabulous Filipino drag artists from all over the world competing for the crown.

The Precious Bicolana Queen and member of the drag group “Divine Divas”, first entered the werk
room in a campy ensemble reflective of her playful personality. From the beginning of the competition, she showcased true creativity, uniqueness, nerve, and talent which helped her gain the title of president and number one competitor at the Ru-lections.

Her ‘Regine Velasquez’ performance garnered praise from the “Asia’s Songbird” herself during the OPM Divas: The Rusical and her Pearl of the Orient Seas look proved that she could serve eleganza extravaganza.

Quickly enough, Precious Paula Nicole became a crowd favorite especially when her heart shone through during Twinning! as she transformed her youngest brother into a drag queen. She not only showcased the best of Pinoy drag but also embodied the Filipino spirit of unconditional love and dedication to
family.

“Life is precious and so are we. Let’s continue to inspire and let’s continue to love”, said Precious
Paula Nicole in the finale of “Drag Race Philippines” Season One.

The other finalists also served their remarkable talent and tenacity. Eva Le Queen, best known for
her Snatch Game performance as comedian Rufa Mae Quinto, brought out the Tampalpukean in
every viewer, gaining the respect of many for her poise and wisdom. Marina Summers, a fan-
favorite who served sultry summer looks, charmed the country with her wit and humor. Finally,
Xilhouete, respectable drag mother to many, wow-ed the fans with not just couture-inspired looks
but also her determination and will to be worthy of one of the spots in the finale.

In the finale, viewers were welcomed by the S1 queens of “Drag Race Philippines” and an electric
performance by “Drag Race Philippines” host, Paolo Ballesteros.

The Miss Congeniality title was bestowed to Lady Morgana before the final four showdowns. Kicking off the final lip sync battles were Eva Le Queen and Precious Paula Nicole followed by Marina Summers and Xilhouete.

It ultimately came down to Precious Paula Nicole and Marina Summers who performed Sirena by Gloc-
9 for the crown. Precious Paula Nicole secured her victory, receiving a one-year supply of ONE/SIZE
beauty cosmetics by Patrick Starrr and P1,000,000 powered by Kumu.

With its healthy dose of creativity, ingenuity, and drama, the first season of “Drag Race Philippines”
has garnered global attention. Though the season may have ended, fans can rewatch all episodes
on discovery+, HBO Go, and WOW Presents Plus.

“Drag Race Philippines” is produced in the Philippines by Fullhouse Asia Production Studios, Inc in
conjunction with World of Wonder Productions, Inc. Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell,
and RuPaul Charles serving as executive producers on the series.

Download and subscribe to discovery+ available across multiple platforms, including connected
TVs, web, mobile, and tablets. For the latest updates and promos, follow discovery+ on Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter. “Drag Race Philippines” is also available on HBO GO.

Subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.ph/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store. Or access HBO GO via Cignal, Globe, and Skycable. Follow HBO GO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Palace to launch programs vs fake news, says Garafil

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos, Manila Bulletin

The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said that it will be implementing programs to combat the spread of fake news in the country after recognizing that the circulation of erroneous content is a problem that must be resolved.

Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil (RTVM Screenshot)

OPS officer-in-charge Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil said this after a new Pulse Asia survey showed that 9 of 10 Filipino adults think the proliferation of fake news in the country is a problem.

In a press briefing, Garafil agreed that spreading fake news is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

She said the OPS would come out with programs to combat fake news.

“Ito po ay isang seryosong bagay na tututukan ng OPS. Kaya nga ngayon, Sir, meron kaming mga programa na ile-lay-down in the coming days (This is a serious issue that the OPS is looking into. That’s why we will be laying down programs in the coming days),” she said.

“We will let you know kasi gusto rin talaga natin na ma-address itong mga problema ng fake news (because we also want to address this problem about fake news),” she added.

Last month, former Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the OPS was willing to work with Congress to push for legislation to address the spread of disinformation and fake news.

She said this after she admitted that there was no budget yet for efforts to fight misinformation in her office’s proposed budget for 2023.

“Nagbigay rin tayo ng suporta sa Kongreso para sa panukalang batas sa paglaban sa fake news at disinformation (We showed our support to Congress for a proposed law against fake news and disinformation),” Angeles said on September 2.

“Handang magbigay at magsumite ang ating opisina ng suhestiyon at impormasyon na kinakailangan para makamtan natin ang ‘whole-of-government’ approach kontra fake news (Our office is prepared to give suggestions and information necessary to achieve a ‘whole-of-government’ approach against fake news),” she added.

Serious security breach as hacker takes over NDRRMC’s Facebook page

by Martin Sadongdong, Manila Bulletin

An official social media account of the government’s primary inter-agency council on disaster response has been hacked on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 11, raising questions as to the capability of the government to deter cyber attacks.

Cybercriminals have many different reasons, methods, and connections to commit cybercrime. A look into their mind and see how White Hat Hackers use that knowledge to protect your system.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) announced that its official Facebook page was hacked around 3 p.m.

“Necessary arrangements are in place to retrieve our account and investigate the matter. We uphold data privacy and security, alongside the welfare of the members of the NDRRMC,” it said in a press statement.

The hacking incident occured just as Tropical Depression “Maymay” was headed towards Luzon and threatened to pound provinces. The NDRRMC, which often posts warnings and updates on impending calamities, made its last Facebook post last October 4.

The NDRRMC apologized for “any inconvenience or confusion” that the incident might bring to the public and its stakeholders.

This was not the first time that the NDRRMC was targeted by hackers.

Ten months ago, the official Twitter account of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) — the implementing agency of the NDRRMC — had also been hacked.

The OCD’s verified Twitter account @civildefensePH posted at least five tweets about cryptocurrency and bitcoin on the Twitter pages of billionaire businessman Elon Musk and his aerospace company, SpaceX, on the midnight of Nov. 14, 2021.

The hacker also changed the OCD’s Twitter handle from “Office of Civil Defense” to “Elon Muskx,” as well as its profile picture to the photo that was the same as Musk’s Twitter profile.

It was not immediately clear whether or not the hacker that controlled the OCD Twitter page in 2021 was the same hacker that attacked the Facebook page of the NDRRMC since the Council offered very little details on the recent hacking incident.

LOOK! Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts singing ‘Beauty and the Beast’

by Robert Requintina

Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney Facebook)

After the CBS series “Murder, She Wrote,” Hollywood star Angela Lansbury appeared in another memorable project in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” in 1991.

Angela was the voice of Mrs. Potts in the blockbuster animated feature flick, which until now, remains the first-ever movie nominated for Best Picture at the prestigious Oscar Awards.

Mrs. Potts is a supporting character in “Beauty and the Beast.” She is the castle’s head housekeeper who was transformed into an enchanted teapot once the Enchantress placed her curse.

Angela was the voice of Mrs. Potts in the original version, while Emma Thompson was in the live-action remake.

Angela died on Tuesday, Oct. 11, her children announced. She was 96.

“The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1:30 a.m. today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday,” said her family in a statement.

“In addition to her three children, Anthony, Deirdre and David, she is survived by three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian, plus five great grandchildren and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury.

Angela was perhaps best known for playing dauntless mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher on “Murder, She Wrote” on CBS for 12 years.

After tropical depression Maymay, another cyclone may enter PAR on Oct. 13 — PAGASA

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

(PAGASA / FACEBOOK)

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) continues to monitor a tropical depression east of Southern Luzon as it may enter the country’s area of responsibility on Thursday, Oct. 13.

The tropical depression, with maximum sustained winds of up to 45 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 55 kph, was last observed at a distance of 2,020 kilometers east of Southern Luzon, according to PAGASA’s 11 a.m. advisory on Thursday.

It was moving northeastward at a speed of 20 kph.

“The tropical depression is forecast to decelerate as it moves generally north-northeastward in the next 12 hours before turning northward to northwestward while gaining speed. On the track forecast, the tropical depression may enter the PAR region on Thursday (Oct. 13) morning or afternoon. Afterwards, the tropical cyclone will move generally westward towards extreme Northern Luzon,” PAGASA said.

Based on initial analysis, the tropical depression may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Thursday and approach the country’s landmass on Sunday, Oct. 16, said PAGASA Weather Division chief Jun Galang.

The next tropical cyclone will be named “Neneng.”

Galang added that PAGASA is not ruling out the possibility of a landfall over Northern Luzon or Central Luzon.

“Current track and intensity forecast shows that there is a high likelihood that tropical cyclone wind signals will be hoisted over Batanes and several provinces in Northern Luzon. The highest possible wind signal that may be hoisted is TCWS #2 (tropical cyclone wind signal number 2,” PAGASA said.

The State weather bureau pointed out that the passage of the tropical cyclone over extreme Northern Luzon may bring heavy rainfall over the area beginning Saturday, Oct. 15.

Aside from this tropical cyclone, a tropical depression with the local name “Maymay” is being monitored as it may make landfall over Aurora province or northern Quezon province by Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Circulation near Palawan has potential to become cyclone

Galang said PAGASA is also monitoring a circulation west of Palawan that may also form into a tropical cyclone.

However, it may only affect some portions of Palawan as it will eventually move away from the country. 

BSP wants stronger email cybersecurity for banks, non-banks

by Lee C. Chipongian, Manila Bulletin

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued recommendations for all its supervised financial institutions (BSFIs) to reinforce email security controls to effectively block persistent cyberthreats such as business email compromise (BEC), spam, phishing, ransomware and other malware attacks.

In a memo (Memorandum No. M-2022-043), signed by BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier last Oct. 7, the BSP wants banks to adopt six recommendations for a “robust and layered security controls” as well as industry best practices already laid out in existing BSP rules and regulations on cybersecurity.

But to further enhance email security, Fonacier said BSFIs should adopt, as warranted, the security controls and best practices in safeguarding both incoming and outgoing emails.

In addition, she said BSFIs are expected to promptly report to the BSP any major email-related cyber incidents and crimes as per BSP’s rules on event-driven report and notification (EDRN) and report on crimes and losses (RCL). “In certain instances, BSFIs may need to seek assistance and cooperate with appropriate law enforcement authorities for prompt resolution of cybercrime cases, especially if cases involve public safety and security, pursuant to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and other relevant laws and regulations,” said Fonacier.

The BSP recognizes that in the digital transformation initiatives, email is the primary means of communication in core business operations from marketing and sales, and customer support services, to logistics and supplier contracting, among others.

Fonacier said email is also used as one of the main verification and authentication factors linked to a bank, financial, or e-payment account in providing electronic payments and financial services (EPFS).

“Given the central role of email in digital communications, cyberthreats ranging from spam, phishing, ransomware and other malware attacks targeting email platforms and communications continue to confront BSFIs,” said Fonacier.

BEC has been identified as the “most prevalent and costly cyberattacks for financial clients globally”. BEC is a type of cyberattack that utilizes seemingly legitimate email accounts from another organization to fraudulently trick employees of another business into giving their credentials, money, personal information, financial details or other sensitive data, said the BSP.

According to Fonacier, most BEC attacks leverage on spoofing of a corporate or individual’s identity whereby the email address of the legitimate sender is impersonated to mislead the recipient on the sender of the email, thereby making the fraud attempt more effective.

To counter BEC and other email-related cyberattacks, the BSP recommends BSFIs to adopt the following email security controls such as “to identify and cascade whether a virus or malware infection may spread by just opening or selecting an email.”

“While this is not true for most email clients, an assessment should be conducted on the current email platform and version used especially if it enables scripting or automatic downloads and execution, which may heighten the risk of infection,” said the BSP.

Another recommendation to all BSFIs is to always inspect the email header information such as: “Received from (sender) and By (receiver)”; the “From” information which shows the sender’s name and email address; the “Reply-To” which refers to the email address that will receive replies to the email; and “Return-Path” defines where bounced emails will be processed.

The BSP also strongly advises to scrutinize the content of the email. “Phishing emails oftentimes have generic greetings and contain unfamiliar links or attachments or unsolicited requests for personal information. These emails are also unexpected and usually contain a sense of urgency that pushes the recipient to act quickly. It is advisable not to click any attachments or links unless the communication is verified,” said the BSP.

The central bank also recommends the strict adoption of the following email security controls: contact the sender of the message through a different/trusted channel to verify the validity of the email; provide guidance on how to report and handle suspicious or malicious emails based on the entity’s policies; and conduct regular phishing simulations or exercises.

Heat waves will make regions uninhabitable

“There are clear limits beyond which people exposed to extreme heat and humidity cannot survive,” the report said. File Photo

By Agence France-Presse October 12, 2022 

HEAT waves will become so extreme in certain regions of the world within decades that human life there will be unsustainable, the United Nations and the Red Cross said Monday (Tuesday in Manila).

Heat waves are predicted to "exceed human physiological and social limits" in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and south and southwest Asia, with extreme events triggering "large-scale suffering and loss of life," the organizations said.

Heat wave catastrophes this year in countries like Somalia and Pakistan foreshadow a future with deadlier, more frequent and more intense heat-related humanitarian emergencies, they warned in a joint report.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released the report in advance of next month's COP27 climate change summit in Egypt.

"We don't want to dramatize it, but clearly the data shows that it does lead toward a very bleak future," said IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain.

They said aggressive steps needed to be taken immediately to avert potentially recurrent heat disasters, listing steps that could mitigate the worst effects of extreme heat.

Limits of survival

"There are clear limits beyond which people exposed to extreme heat and humidity cannot survive," the report said.

"There are also likely to be levels of extreme heat beyond which societies may find it practically impossible to deliver effective adaptation for all.

"On current trajectories, heat waves could meet and exceed these physiological and social limits in the coming decades, including in regions such as the Sahel and south and southwest Asia."

It warned that the impact of this would be "large-scale suffering and loss of life, population movements and further entrenched inequality."

The report said extreme heat was a "silent killer," claiming thousands of lives each year as the deadliest weather-related hazard — and the dangers were set to grow at an "alarming rate" due to climate change.

According to a study cited by the report, the number of poor people living in extreme heat conditions in urban areas will jump by 700 percent by 2050, particularly in West Africa and Southeast Asia.

"Projected future death rates from extreme heat are staggeringly high — comparable in magnitude by the end of the century to all cancers or all infectious diseases — and staggeringly unequal," the report said.

Agricultural workers, children, the elderly, and pregnant and breastfeeding women are at higher risk of illness and death, the report claimed.

"As the climate crisis goes unchecked, extreme weather events, such as heat waves and floods, are hitting the most vulnerable people the hardest," said UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths.

"The humanitarian system is not equipped to handle crisis of this scale on our own."

'Previously unimaginable'

Chapagain urged countries at COP27 to invest in climate adaptation and mitigation in the regions most at risk.

CHA and the IFRC suggested five main steps to help combat the impact of extreme heat waves, including providing early information to help people and authorities react in time, and finding new ways of financing local-level action.

They also included humanitarian organizations testing more "thermally appropriate" emergency shelter and "cooling centers," while getting communities to alter their development planning to take account of likely extreme heat impacts.

OCHA and the IFRC said there were limits to extreme heat adaptation measures.

Some, such as increasing energy-intensive air-conditioning, are costly, environmentally unsustainable and contribute themselves to climate change.

If emissions of the greenhouse gases which cause climate change are not aggressively reduced, the world will face "previously unimaginable levels of extreme heat."

Sandro comments on weak peso, offers advice to Pinoys

by Ellson Quismorio, Manila Bulletin 

Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos recently wore his economist’s hat to comment on the weakening Philippine peso.

Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos
(Contributed photo)

“I would like to make one thing clear…the peso is not weak because the peso is weak. The peso is weak because the dollar is strong,” Marcos told local reporters in his district during a recent press briefing.

According to him, the United States (US) dollar is viewed as the safest or most stable currency, especially if there’s a crisis.

“Ang nangyayari ay lahat ng mga tao kapag may krisis ay bumibili ng dollar. Kapag binibili yung dollar, ang demanda ng dollar tumataas (What happens is, whenever there’s a crisis, people purchase dollars. And this results to the rise in then dollar’s demand). Which means, againts other currencies, it becomes stronger,” explained Marcos, who in 2017 earned his master’s degree in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Despite the weakening of the Philippine peso against the US dollar, the senior deputy majority leader argued that the local currency is still “stabilized” against other currencies in the world.

On Monday, Oct. 10, the peso slid to its lowest level of P59 against the greenback.

“What can we do about it? On the bright side, madami tayong OFWs dito sa Ilocos (we have a lot of overseas Filipino workers here in Ilocos). So ang remittances na pinapadala nila na dollar value ay mas mataas (So they send more remittances here), so the remittances are worth more,” the Ilocano said.

Marcos also noted that the Philippines has “a significant amount of dollar reserves”. Thus, he said, “An option would be, potentially, to sell off the dollar reserves to be able to taper. Tataas pa rin yung value nung dollar pero hindi gaano kalaki (the dollar will still go up in value, but not as much).”

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But he later admitted that selling off local dollar reserves might not make much a difference, simply because it’s not as big compared to other countries.

“So I think the best piece of advice would just be to sit back and hold tight. What the national government I know is doing is to focus on food security because as we are a net importer of certain goods and services, we have to make sure that domestically, we are able to produce that,” the presidential son said.

Marcos signs law to fight text scams

DONE! President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signs the SIM Card Registration Act, the first bill he signed into law as the Chief Executive, on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. Vice President Sara Duterte, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Sen. Mary Grace Poe and Rep. Sandro Marcos look on.  Contributed photo

By Kristina Maralit October 11, 2022 

DONE! President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signs the SIM Card Registration Act, the first bill he signed into law as the Chief Executive, on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. Vice President Sara Duterte, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Sen. Mary Grace Poe and Rep. Sandro Marcos look on.  Contributed photo

PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday signed the SIM Card Registration Act, the first legislation enacted under his administration. The law aims to curb text scams and spam.

The ceremonial signing was held in Malacañang with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other stakeholders standing as witnesses.

"I commend the legislators from the House and from the Senate for coming up with this timely and necessary law. It is the first legislative measure that successfully passed the approval of the bicameral panel of both houses in the 19th Congress," the Chief Executive said, adding that such a law "has long been overdue."

"Truly, the legislation is going to be welcomed by many of our people, especially now with reports of the commission of various crimes using mobile phones, including proliferation of text scams and spam. Indeed, with the signing of this law, we set the important tone that it is our national policy to ensure that technology shall only be used to improve our people's lives," he added.

Filipinos rank among the world's heaviest users of social media, and the country has become a key battleground for misleading or fake news.

Many mobile phone users in the Philippines use pre-paid SIM cards that they buy over the counter without giving their names and addresses to providers.

Republic Act 11394 mandates all public telecommunications entities (PTE) or direct sellers to require buyers of subscriber identity module cards to present a valid identification document with a photo.

It likewise directs telecommunication companies to disclose the registered full name and address of the subscriber upon a duly issued subpoena or order from a court.

The PTEs are also given 30 days to submit a list of their authorized sellers or dealers to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). This should be updated quarterly.

KUWTT: Marcos signs law to fight text scams | Oct. 11, 2022

The Palace earlier said that the enactment of the bill will "significantly boost government initiatives against scams committed through text and online messages, which have become more prevalent this year."

Marcos believes that scams will drastically decline as the new law is seen as "an effective means of regulating the issuance of SIM cards to curb the spread of spam text messages and scams."

"We will soon be able to provide law enforcement agencies the tools needed to resolve crimes perpetrated with the use of these SIM cards as well as providing a strong deterrence against the commission of wrongdoings," he said.

"To cover all users of SIM cards in this Act, telecommunications entities are mandated to ensure the registration of existing prepaid SIM card phone subscribers within a prescribed period. Failure to comply results to the grant of authority for telecommunications entities to automatically deactivate services to the specific SIM Card subscriber under the force of law," he added.

Marcos signs SIM card registration law

The use of false or fictitious information, fictitious identities, fraudulent documents or identification to register a SIM Card shall also be dealt with by appropriate penalties, the President warned. He reassured the public that there are enough measures to protect the confidentiality and data privacy rights of subscribers from point of sale.

"Any information in the SIM Card Registration shall be treated as absolutely confidential unless access to this information has been granted by the written consent of the subscriber," Marcos said.

Globe Telecoms on Monday expressed support for the law.

MSME magna carta needs a major upgrade

In a statement, Globe said a verifiable and fool-proof identification system is the foundation of the SIM Registration law.

It said that if people are allowed to submit any form of identification which can easily be falsified, SIM registration will be useless.

"For this reason, our position has been clear from the beginning. A national ID system must be in place to ensure the safe and successful implementation of this new law," Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo said.

Globe also said the government must look at global best practices in implementing the new SIM Registration bill.

Many countries are using their national ID system to verify the identity of a person who registers a SIM number.

"We support the passage of this measure after previous roadblocks and we are ready to comply. Aside from our advanced cybersecurity capabilities, we welcome a new regulatory environment that has stronger safeguards against cyberthreats and other crimes carried out using mobile phones," Castelo said.

Globe said it is working with the government in drafting the implementing rules and regulations for the rational enforcement of the law, including the rollout of the retroactive registration of tens of millions of prepaid SIM users.

‘First MassKara sa Panaad’ kicks off in Bacolod

Published October 11, 2022, 1:58 PM

by Glazyl Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – The provincial government of Negros Occidental has officially opened the ‘MassKara sa Panaad’ here on Monday, Oct. 10.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Negros Association of Chief Executives (ACE) president and Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez led the opening rites of the celebration at the Panaad Park here.

Various local government units (LGUs) in the province showcased their festival dances during the ceremony marking the official start of the one-week celebration.

Festival dances of various local government units in Negros Occidental were showcased during the opening of the 1st ‘MassKara sa Panaad’ at the Panaad park in Bacolod City Monday. (Glazyl Masculino Photo)

All the 31 LGUs joined the ‘MassKara sa Panaad’ showcasing their various local products at their respective pavilions.

The event materialized after the city government here invited the province to join the celebration of the 43rd MassKara Festival, by holding the first ever ‘MassKara sa Panaad.’ The province has been annually celebrating the Panaad Festival, but just like the MassKara Festival, it was also suspended for two years because of the pandemic.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson (right) and Negros Association of Chief Executives (ACE) president and Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez (left), along with San Enrique town Mayor Jilson Tubillara lead the opening of the 1st ‘MassKara sa Panaad’ at the Panaad park in Bacolod City Monday, Oct. 10. (Glazyl Masculino Photo)

In his message, Lacson said the ‘MassKara sa Panaad’ is a groundbreaking event, since it is the first time that the province was invited to join in the celebration of the MassKara Festival.

“We are just happy to be a part of the biggest and most awaited MassKara Festival,” the governor said.

Lacson said this creates an opportunity for the MassKara tourists to experience a glimpse of the land of the sweet surprises, its culture, local products, festivals, travel destinations, and the Negrense cuisine.

“MassKara Festival is more than just a festivity, it is a story of hope, resilience, and ingenuity. As the pandemic forced upon us the use of masks, this year, we again as people are going to don MassKaras with the same grit,” Lacson said.

After two years of uncertainty, the province and the city are united, as they move forward toward recovery, said Lacson as he thanked the local chief executives for their support and cooperation in the event.

For his part, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo ‘Albee’ thanked the provincial government for accepting the city’s invitation to be part of the festival.

Benitez said that it is a clear indication that Bacolod and Negros Occidental are now collaborating with each other for the betterment of all the Negrenses.

“It is a clear example of what we can be and what we can do for the future if we do it together. We are now united in celebrating this event,” Benitez said.

Benitez said that Councilor Jason Villarosa, chairman of the Committee on Tourism, has a proposal to create an ordinance inviting the province in the MassKara Festival every year.

“It is an indication that we are now one, because Panaad is at the heart of Bacolod, it is but proper that Panaad is part of the celebration,” Benitez said.

With the huge crowd on the opening day, Benitez said they have made the right decision to include and invite the province for the said event.

Meanwhile, Negros ACE president Javier Benitez said that with the unity between the province and the city, possibilities are endless.

“It will bring not only cooperation of culture and tourism, but definitely economic opportunities, since tourists need not go to the whole province to avail of their products,” he added.

He said they are hoping to pitch to the provincial government to open the Panaad park regularly for visitors.

“We want something to be regular. We are exploring ways on what could still be done at Panaad, it could be a theme park or a water park. Everyone is on board, we’re just finalizing things,” he said.