1,800 Cops Deployed as MassKara Festival 2026 Security Goes Into High Gear
MASSKARA FESTIVAL – Security preparations are heating up in Bacolod City as authorities prepare to deploy 1,800 police officers for this year’s highly anticipated MassKara Festival.
Around 1,800 police officers are expected to provide security during the 2026 MassKara Festival in Bacolod City, which will take place from October 1 to 18.
The annual celebration will feature various activities throughout the month, with major events scheduled toward its final days. The festival’s highlight will be the Electric MassKara on October 16, while school and barangay groups will compete in arena and street dancing events on October 17 and 18.
Lt. Col. Lester Leada, commander of the Bacolod Police Sub-Site Task Group for Peace and Order, said approximately 800 members of the Bacolod police force will be assigned to festival security. This represents about 80 percent of the city’s police personnel.
An additional 1,000 police officers will be brought in as an augmentation force from the Police Regional Office Negros Island Region to strengthen security operations during the festivities.
Leada said authorities will implement heightened security measures, including checkpoints in strategic areas. Police personnel will also be placed on full alert as thousands of people are expected to attend the various festival activities.
The possible implementation of cellphone signal jamming and a gun ban, however, will depend on whether Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya makes a formal request and whether high-profile VIPs are expected to attend the events.
Authorities also assured the public that police units will respond promptly to emergency calls made through 911. Although intelligence monitoring has not identified any specific or active threats against the festival, Leada emphasized that law enforcement personnel will continue monitoring developments.
Organizers said the MassKara Festival 2026 interagency team is also intensifying preparations to ensure that the celebration remains safe and orderly for residents, visitors, performers, vendors, and workers.
The team is headed by Rica Latergo and is coordinating with the Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc., led by its director, Atty. Hannah Lea dela Torre. Various government offices and emergency groups are involved in the preparations, including the Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bacolod City Police Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, BTTMD, City Health Office, BENRO, Department of Social Services and Development, rescue organizations, volunteers, and other agencies.
Their preparations include crowd control, traffic management, fire safety, medical assistance, food safety, venue inspections, and other protective measures.
“MassKara is a celebration for everyone, and safety must be a shared responsibility. Our agencies and volunteers are preparing together, but we also need full public cooperation. Following rules, listening to authorities, and immediately reporting emergencies can make a significant difference,” Latergo said.
Dela Torre emphasized the foundation’s role in coordinating with government agencies and ensuring that safety and legal requirements are addressed before major activities.
“We are coordinating early with different agencies because MassKara is not only about the events on stage. It is also about making sure our streets, venues, food establishments, vendors, performers, and the public are covered by a coordinated safety plan,” dela Torre said.
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