Posted on 10 October 2016

If you've met even a handful of Filipinos, you'll have sensed that as a nationality, these people possess a very sunny disposition. Such a cheery manner is highly conducive to cheery festivals, which is why the annual Masskara Festival, in the city of Bacolod, is such an intensely fun event.

And yet this festival has its roots in darker days. In 1980 the economy of Bacolod was hit hard by the emergence of high fructose corn syrup – a cheap U.S. sugar substitute – which depressed the price of locally-grown sugar cane. In addition to these economic woes, the community lost many of its loved ones in a maritime collision involving the inter-island M/V Don Juan and a tanker; more than 700 people perished at sea.

Out of this darkness the Masskara festival was conceived – with a view to pulling the local population out of their gloominess and driving them on to a more prosperous future.

A Portmanteau of the word 'mass' meaning multitude and 'kara' meaning faces, Masskara is a festival of dazzling masks and sensual dancing. It has emerged as one of the Philippines' most popular festivals, attracting visitors from across the globe.

The nation's controversial president Duterte opened this year's proceedings on October 2, marking the start of festivities which will go on until October 23.

Visitors can enjoy the Masskara Queen Beauty Pageant, along with carnivals, drum and bugle corps competitions, sports events, food festivals, garden shows and musical concerts.

But, this being the Philippines, attendees can also expect some less orthodox events. According to SunStar.com there will also be a 'shootfest' at the local gun club!

How do I get to the Masskara Festival?

The city of Bacolod is in the south of the Philippines on the island of Negros. An hour's flight from the capital Manila, if you have time you might journey by road and sea – but this route, while wonderfully scenic, could take several days!

There are no direct flights from London to Manila, but Cathay Pacific flies there with a transfer in Hong Kong. Emirates flies there with a transfer in Dubai, with Singapore Airlines making a change in Singapore.

By UK standards Bacolod City hotels are very affordable. At time of writing the four-star Planta Centro Bacolod Hotel & Residences has rooms available from around £24 per night. Another four star, the Palmas del Mar Conference Resort Hotel, has suites available from around £27.

Heading to the Philippines?

Alongside the vibrant Masskara Festival there are many other reasons to visit the Philippines: View the enchanting rice terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras; hike the mountains of Mindoro; dive the wrecks of Japanese warships on Apo Reef; enjoy the buzzing nightlife of Manila. An intoxicating blend of European and Asian cultures, there's nowhere quite like the Philippines.

Don't forget to take out comprehensive travel insurance before you fly out, covering you against illness and injury, cancellations, curtailments, theft, money and passport loss – and much else besides.

Single Trip and Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance from starttravel.co.uk is available in three cover levels: Essential, 4-Star and 5-Star.

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