Benitez, who is the president of the Association of Chief Executives (ACE)-Negros Occidental Chapter said they are thinking of an event to attract visitors once every month.
“There should be something more regular,” he said on the sidelines of the “MassKara sa Panaad” opening on Monday, October 10, said, adding that after the local government units (LGUs) spent for the repairs of their pavilions they should at least be opened to the public once every month.
Benitez also said that opening the pavilions at the park every weekend is “a bit too ambitious for now but if there are enough tourists every weekend.”
The mayor said he has proposed the idea to Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez, who both said that they are open to it.
The LGU pavilions at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan only open annually, specifically during the week-long Panaad sa Negros Festival celebration.
The annual Panaad sa Negros has not been held for two years because of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
The provincial government has announced that it will be celebrated again in 2023 as they are also exploring the possibility of putting up a theme park or water park at the Panaad, he said.
The “MassKara sa Panaad” will run until October 16, 2022.
Meanwhile, Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz II clarified yesterday that “MassKara sa Panaad” is not for profit but rather for tourism promotion and in support of the cooperatives that are celebrating the Cooperative Month.
“This is also intended for the LGUs so that they can get their pavilions back in shape and then welcome visitors from other parts of the country and some parts of the province visit and enjoy the Panaad,” Diaz said.
He said that they do not get sales reports from the LGUs because unlike in the trade fair where they have monitoring and recording of sales.
In this activity, Diaz stressed, each LGU has their own activities, as well as enterprise and cooperative groups.
The provincial administrator said they do not monitor and supervise the selling of whatever products.
“We saw that the crowd was there and [they] enjoy the festivities in Negros Occidental in collaboration and in support for the celebration of MassKara Festival of Bacolod City,” he said.
Diaz said that this is not to compete with the vendors at the other sites of the MassKara celebration, especially at the public plaza and the Bacolod City Government Center.
“We are joining and collaborating with the festivities of Bacolod City,” he added.*