Enjoy the Festive MassKara 2019 with a Pack of Bongbong’s Piaya

Ask anyone what they know about Bacolod City and there is a very high probability you just might elicit a response about the MassKara Festival.

However, when you ask Bacolodnons about the best delicacy in Bacolod City, they’ll give you a direct answer, and that is Bongbong’s Piaya and Barquillos.

This is because in the minds and hearts of Bacolodnons and tourists visiting the City of Smiles, no one makes tasty delicacies like barquillos, biscocho and piaya better than Bongbong’s Piaya and Barquillos.

The first week of the month of October marks the beginning of the almost month-long celebration of the MassKara Festival, a joyous celebration of smiling masks earning Bacolod the moniker “City of Smiles.” However, the history behind this celebration is far from joyous.

During the early 1980s, the City of Bacolod and the entire province of Negros Occidental were struck by a number of tragedies, rendering its inhabitants almost numb with pain and sorrow.

It was during this time that the world market price of sugar hit rock bottom, dealing a massive economic blow to the province, which depended entirely on its sugar production to thrive and survive.

It was also during this time that the M/V Don Juan, a luxury liner owned by Negros Navigation, sank in the shark-infested waters of Tablas Strait in Mindoro, while it was en route to Bacolod City.

As fate would have it, most of those who went missing or perished in that tragic accident were residents of Bacolod City, including the wife and children of the city mayor.

It was also during this time, around the year 1983, that a severe drought hit the province, which rendered huge tracts of agricultural land almost worthless.

As if these heartrending tragedies were not enough, two super typhoons, namely Nitang and Undang, hit Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, leaving a huge trail of destruction.

It was as if the fates conspired to unleash their tremendous fury on the residents of the province, dealing it one massive blow after another.

In Bacolod City, the residents were such in a sorrowful state that the mayor, though grieving himself for the loss of his beloved family, formed a committee with the task of creating a festival that would help alleviate the unhappiness felt by its residents.

Thus, the MassKara Festival was born. The smiling masks covered the grieving faces, and also elicited smiles from those who saw them. It was also during this time that Bacolod earned the nickname the “City of Smiles.”

Where does Bongbong’s Piaya and Barquillos fall into all of these?

Just like the smiling masks, Bongbong’s piaya can bring smiles to the faces of those who try it.

Amidst the economic problems and uncertainties faced by most Bacolodnons, the sweet taste of the best piaya and barquillos in Bacolod City somehow helps alleviate the feeling of sadness of residents of the City of Smiles.

This is perhaps the best connection that Bongbong’s Piaya and Barquillos has with the origin and celebration of the MassKara festival.

So if you want to fully enjoy the festive MassKara in Bacolod, experience it with a pack of the best piaya, barquillos and biscocho in the City of Smiles, available only at Bongbong’s Piaya and Barquillos.