“In our darkest moments back in the 80s, it was the art community that gave us strength and resilience. Art gave us our smiles, literally and figuratively.

It was through the help and dedication of our artists that the Festival of Smiles or what we call now the MassKara Festival was conceived, and that we earned our world-renowned title as the City of Smiles.

Such is the indispensable role of art in Bacolod City, and I cannot overstate how proud and happy I am to see how our artists continue to uplift our city to this day.

To the Art Association of Bacolod-Negros, madamo guid nga salamat sa inyo paghatag sang tiempo kag talento sa aton ciudad. I assure you of our continued support in the art community. “