BACOLOD, Philippines – The Bacolod City government has extended this year’s MassKara Festival by four more days after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) brought heavy rain, disrupting and spoiling the annual event in the city last week.
Originally scheduled to run for 16 days, ending on Sunday, October 27, the festival will now continue until Thursday, October 31, the city government announced.
Kristine affected more than 4.2 million Filipinos or about a million families, as it battered the country with strong winds and heavy flooding. The worst-hit was the Bicol Region in Luzon.
As of Saturday, October 26, about 83 cities and municipalities across the country have been placed under a state of calamity as a result, government data showed.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the festival’s extension was intended to help vendors who lost income opportunities due to almost six days of bad weather.
“The extension allows us to continue enjoying the festivities that were dampened by the storm’s impact. This isn’t the first time; we’ve had to adjust in the past due to heavy rain in October,” Benitez said during the Electric MassKara parade and competition on Saturday, October 26.
Benitez also pledged P2.5 million in the form of food vouchers, which can be used at kiosks in the Bacolod Public Plaza, Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) grounds, and The Upper East Center.
Kiosk renters, who paid between P25,000 and P27,000 per stall, complained about low sales during the storm.
One vendor, Nica Joy Cabiles, turned to social media, appealing for customers to order from her stall, with offers to deliver anywhere in Bacolod. Her post gained widespread sympathy, eventually reaching the mayor, who expressed support for affected vendors.
Kristine was a force that displaced nearly half a million people, many packed into evacuation centers. The scale of devastation spanned more than 500 flooded areas from Metro Manila to Bicol, and in various places in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed Kristine also damaged and destroyed vital infrastructure, leaving more than P200 million in damaged property.
In agriculture, Kristine destroyed over 1,600 hectares of crops, leaving 3,000 farmers and fisherfolk struggling with losses amounting to more than P87 million. – Rappler.com