BACOLOD CITY – Col. Thomas Joseph Martir, Bacolod City police director, declared Monday, Oct. 24, that the MassKara Festival here this year was generally peaceful.

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) recorded only 61 crimes with no major incidents in all festival sites during the 23-day celebration of the 43rd MassKara Festival from Oct. 1 to 23.
The BCPO said that it was significantly lower by 89 compared to 150 festival and non-festival related crimes recorded in 2019.
More than 2,000 security forces were deployed during the event.
Martir said the whole-of-nation approach involving other government agencies in major events made the festivities peaceful and orderly.
He also said that security preparations and the deployment of police personnel with BCPO force multipliers also proved effective in all of the festival venues.
Councilor Psyche Marie Sy, chairperson of the Committee on Peace and Order, thanked all BCPO personnel and the augmentation personnel of the Police Regional Office (PRO)- Western Visayas for the overwhelming success of the MassKara Festival.