Yuhum Foundation given 30 days to submit financial report

The Bacolod Yuhum Foundation Inc., the organizer of the recently-concluded MassKara Festival, was given 30 days to submit its financial report, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Wednesday, October 25.

Benitez said he will wait for the final report of the foundation to determine its collections during the festival.

“It’s one of the most attended festivals and this will be one for the books again for the City of Bacolod,” he said.

He said he believes that Bacolod earned big for the festival, and it’s better than last year.

In the 2022 MassKara Festival, the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation Inc. earned at least P80 million, but they were short of at least P6 million, with the mayor paying for the other expenses last year.

Benitez said for the 2024 MassKara Festival, they will implement some improvements like the clearing of egress of the kiosks the day after events, the putting up of more garbage bins in the festival sites, portable toilets, better information campaign in the road closure, among others.

“By next year’s festival, we need to prepare early. We can improve the festival and everybody wants to help. We will engage those who want to help because the festival is not exclusive to the foundation. We will open it also to others who would like to help and support the MassKara Festival,” he said.

He added there were some festival sites where some kiosks occupied big spaces and it was very crowded.

The mayor noted that the electric float parade competition as well as the street dance and arena competition also improved and it’s better compared to last year’s event.

Barangay Granada was named champion in the 44th MassKara Festival Street Dance and Arena competition held at the Pagla-um Sports Complex on October 22, while Barangay 19 was also named the winner of Electric MassKara and Elektrika Diva on October 21.

Benitez said in the 2024 festival, the city will increase the subsidy to the participating barangays to show more beautiful performances.

He said it’s also the first time that the non-winning participant barangays were given P100,000 cash.

He added that one of the television networks also proposed to cover the MassKara Festival live in 2024 because it’s such a spectacle festival.

Moreover, after the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), Benitez said the barangays that joined the MassKara Festival are also required to submit their liquidation report.

“After the barangay elections, we will have a seal of good governance for the barangay officials,” he said.

He added that for those who fail to follow, the city has the authority to reprimand or suspend the erring barangay officials.*