BACOLOD City – In preparation for the upcoming MassKara Festival, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has submitted requests to Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez for enhanced security measures, including a gun ban and mobile phone signal jamming.
At a press conference on September 19 hosted by the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation Inc., Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Vargas, chief of the City Operations Management Unit (COMU) of the BCPO, revealed that a formal request was made on September 1 to suspend the permit to carry firearms outside residences from October 11 to 28, aiming to prevent firearm-related incidents during the festivities.
Additionally, the BCPO has sought the mayor’s approval for a temporary interruption of cellular services during critical events of the festival.
If approved, the signal jamming would occur on October 26, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., to coincide with the Electric MassKara Performing Floats Competition at the Upper East Megaworld, and on October 27, from noon to 9 p.m., during the MassKara dance and arena competition from Bacolod City Public Plaza to Paglaum Sports Complex.
The requests for both the gun ban and signal jamming are pending approval. However, Secretary to the Mayor, Karol Joseph Chiu, confirmed the suspension of firearm permits has been endorsed to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) for processing. The proposal for signal jamming is under review by the event’s Coordination Committee to balance safety and communication needs.
Councilor Jason Villarosa, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on tourism, referenced a previous incident during a visit by First Lady Liza Marcos, where signal jamming was temporarily halted to facilitate necessary communication.
To bolster security, approximately 1,820 personnel, including a team from PRO-6, will be deployed across four festival sites: the Bacolod City Government Center, Upper East Megaworld, Lacson Tourism Strip, and Bacolod Public Plaza. Enhanced screening measures at pedestrian areas will also be implemented.
The 45th MassKara Festival features several key events including the MassKara Grand Salubong, Music Festival, and the Streetdance and Arena Competition scheduled for October 27 at Paglaum Grandstand./PN
