Seventy-three giant puppets, each measuring 12-feet tall and weighing about three kilos, will once again be paraded though the major thoroughfares of Bacolod City as part of the 33rd MassKara Festival.

As in last year’s festival, the giant puppets were created by 808 students of the La Consolacion College of Architecture, Fine Arts and Engineering department led by their dean Rialino Alisbo.

However, this year, these giant puppets have smaller replicas that will be displayed in an exhibit at the lobby of the LCC-Bacolod College department October 5 to 22, as part of the MassKara Art Weekend and pre-celebration of ARFIEN’s 50th anniversary, Alisbo said.

The giant puppets will also be paraded from the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol Lagoon Park to the Bacolod City Public Plaza at 3 p.m. on October 15, and at about 6 p.m. on October 19 at the Lacson Tourism strip for the “Pakilitaay, Pakitaay: Bacolod’s Treasures,” Alisbo also said.

Antonio Tejado, head of the LCC School of Fine Arts, said revelers will again witness the giant puppets when they will be paraded from Lizares Street to the public plaza at 1 p.m. on October 21, and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the same day. They will also be displayed at the electric MassKara at the Lacson tourism strip.

This year’s giant puppets include cartoon, fairytale and anime characters, people from different countries, and famous personalities, like Filipino boxing Champion Manny Pacquiao.

Alisbo said the concept in making these giant puppets is to make children smile and to showcase the artistry of ARFIEN students.

Festival director Eli Francis Tajanlangit yesterday said the giant puppets that were inspired by the Gigantes Festival of Lucban, Quezon, added color to the festivity after they were introduced last year.

Tajanlangit said that he did not have second thoughts when the concept of giant puppets joining the MassKara was introduced by Alisbo last year as the ARFIEN department of LCC-Bacolod is the breeding ground of artists, not only in the Philippines, but even abroad.

He said the showcasing of the giant puppets will help in the promotion of Bacolod’s art tourism, which is now the fad in cities around the world.

Bacolod Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said this is an opportunity for the students of LCC-Bacolod ARFIEN department to showcase their creativity because a lot of foreigners will witness the MassKara and the festival will also be shown in other countries through cyber space and international media.

Sister Jennifer Dela Cruz, OSA, vice president for Finance of LCC-Bacolod, said they are happy to be in partnership again with the Bacolod City government in this endeavor.*APN

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