I’ve been to a lot of festivals around the country. In January, there’s the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo, the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo and the Sinulog Festival in Cebu. Come February, there’s the Kalilangan Festival in General Santos and then the Moriones Festival in Marinduque during Holy Week. Of course there’s the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban and the Pintados Festival in Tacloban among others. Yes, I’ve been to a lot of festivals around the country. And I can honestly say that it’s in Bacolod, where I see the sweetest smiles. If you’re wondering why I...

One of the Best Festival of the Philippines is Bacolod’s Masskara Festival. Bacolod is popularly known for the city of Smiles and I never knew why till we attended the almost week long festival. We just learned it from our friends in Bacolod the story of the said city. In 1980, an inter-island vessel Don Juan owned by the Negros Navigation Company collided with an oil tanker and sank on April 22, 1980. The tragedy claimed the lives of an estimated 400 passengers, most of whom were Negrenses, including several from prominent families in Bacolod. Negros sugar industry was shaken by the much...