DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — Negros Oriental is getting ready for the highly-anticipated Buglasan Festival in October this year.
The festival will begin with cultural events in partnership with Bacolod City to attract more tourists.
Glynda Descuatan, the festival director, unveiled a strategic partnership with Bacolod City, introducing a “Two Festivals in One Trip” concept.
This initiative encourages travelers to begin their journey in Dumaguete City for Buglasan Festival starting on Oct. 25 or earlier.
Descuatan said the idea is for visitors to enjoy an overnight stay in Dumaguete, immersing themselves in the festival’s vibrant atmosphere, before heading to Bacolod for the MassKara Festival on Oct. 27.
One of the Philippines’ most colorful festivals, the province’s Bugalasan Festival will start on Oct. 18 to 27 with this year’s theme “Celebrating Dedicated Public Servants, a Resilient and Supportive Constituency, and the Harvest of Progress through Destination Stewardship”.
“This one trip package has already been enthusiastically received by the Bacolod mayor, following initial discussions during our Negros Island Organic Festival,” Descuatan said.
The collaboration aims to bolster tourism between the two cities, promoting cultural exchange and enhancing visitor experiences.
Roland Don Ramos, proprietor of Quantum Dlux Tour Services- Dumaguete Van Rental and member of Negros Oriental Tourism Council (NOTC) representing the transport sector, said the Buglasan Festival contributes to the economic development of the province by generating revenue from tourism-related activities.
He added that the festival attracts visitors locally and internationally, contributing to tourist inflow.
“More visitors, more tourists mean a large number of people to transport to their destination,” Ramos said.
However, Ramos asked concerned agencies to run after vehicle operators running colorum businesses in tourism, especially in the transport sector, in a bid to level the playing field for the legitimate operators and the fly-by night operators.
He also advocated for more funds for road improvements to tourism sites and strict implementations of laws regulating non-DOT accredited establishments (colorum).
Buglasan Festival promises an exciting lineup of activities this year, including the presentation of Miss Negros Oriental and Hari Ng Negros candidates, LGU Fair Booths, and competitions such as pyro musical, motocross, and motorcycle endurance challenges.
Other activities include civic military parade with inter-school marching band competition, battle of the bands, Gandang NegOrense beauty pageant, modern dance and singing idol competitions will also showcase local talent.
The festival will also feature traditional balak, folk dance with balitaw competitions, alongside the Flavors of Sidlakan Negros culinary showcase.
Highlights of the event include festival of festivals street dancing and ritual showdown, grand float parade, scheduled alongside performances by Sponge Cola and other artists, and culminating in a fireworks display.
Buglasan Festival offers a wide variety of cultural and competitive events that showcase Negros Oriental’s lively heritage and strong community bonds.
This welcomes both locals and foreign visitors to join in this celebration of art, culture, and togetherness. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from Mary Rose Drotleff, SU intern)
