Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Wednesday, August 24, that he was informed that about 90 percent of the Bacolod’s hotel rooms are already booked for the MassKara Festival in October.

The festival is set from October 21 to 23 with the theme “Balik Yuhum (Bring back the smiles)”.

Benitez, who welcomed the about 850 guests to the 68th Philippine Sugar Technologists Association Inc. annual national convention at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City, urged them to join the MassKara Festival and make their bookings early.

“I hope that you make your bookings early because I heard that our rooms are already running out…please do it early, you will not regret it, the MassKara this 2022 will be one of the best ever,” he said.

“We would also like to bring back the smile in every Bacolodnon by hosting the very best ever MassKara” this year, Benitez said.

The mayor also said his goal is to make Bacolod a premier city in the near future.

Bacolod and the sugar industry are very much intertwined, he said.

“It is very important that the city and the industry help each other progress”, Benitez said.*