A visit to Bacolod City would not be complete without bringing home sweet delicacies such as piaya, biscocho, butterscotch, and tarts among others. Negros Occidental as the sugar capital of the Philippines has helped in the flourishing of the bakery industry in the province. There seem to be a pasalubong center opening in every corner of the city.

One company that has captured a large pie of the pasalubong market is Merci Bakeshop. The company started in 1995 as a small bakery supplying to a single store at the Libertad Market, Bacolod City. The Merci brand is owned by C.M. & Sons Food Products and was taken from the French word meaning “Thank you”.

From a single store, it wasn’t long before Merci added more branches within the city and started supplying to satellite dealers all over the province. The company has adapted very well to the demands of the market and soon evolved into a fast food restaurant serving delicious and affordable meals to Negrenses. Bottled water was soon added in their product line as a complement to their food business.

The growing influx of tourists in the province  encouraged the company to open Merci Pasalubong Treats in 2005, challenging head-on the already well established pasalubong centers in Bacolod City. Merci Pasalubong is known for their tarts, piaya, and biscocho in very attractive packaging. Merci continues to keep its loyal clientele by strictly maintaining high quality products. Operations are strictly controlled at their production and commissary plant in Hervias II, Bacolod City.

In addition to their quality products, Merci is also known for their savvy marketing strategies. They were the first pasalubong center to offer discounts to travelers. Their Travel Plus program gives 10% discount to travelers who will present any travel ticket upon purchase of Merci products.

The company has grown tremendously in the past 16 years that it now has 24 branches in Negros Occidental, 99 outlets and dealerships in the islands of Negros, Panay, Cebu and a branch in Metro Manila giving employment to around 300 people.

Much of the success of C.M. & Sons Food Products Inc. can be credited to its young and dynamic President and CEO, Mr. Jonathan Lo. The company recently received a Dynamic Growth (Model Entrepreneur) Award from the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry in its Achievement Awards 2011. The award was presented by VP Jejomar Binay during the Visayas Area Business Conference held in Bacolod City.

Merci beaucoup, Merci! Thank you for the sweet treats and for employing our fellow Negrenses!

Pasalubong Centers

Singcang (UTC Building), Araneta Street
Contact No.: (063-34) 707-1400

Mandalagan (Lopue’s Mandalagan), Lacson Street
Contact No.: (063-34) 709-1788

Ceres South Terminal
Contact No.: (063-34) 434-6113

SM City Bacolod (Beside Food Court), North Wing
Contact No.: (063-34) 468-0053

Gaisano City, Singcang (Ground Level)
Contact No.: (063-34) 435-0931

888 Chinatown Square (along Gatuslao St.)
Contact No.: (063-34) 709-0283

Robinsons Place, Mandalagan (Supermarket Entrance)
Contact No.: (063-34) 476-3363

Rosy Trading, Hernaez St. Libertad
Contact No.: (063-34) 434-7535

Bacolod-Silay Airport, 2nd Level Pre-Departure Area
Contact No.: (063-34) 476-1546

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Barangay  Banago was  declared  champion  in  the  32nd MassKara Festival  street  and arena dance competition Sunday night (Oct. 16), besting 14 other groups that competed in the barangay category.

Choreographed by William Bangcaya, Banago also won the special awards for Best in Concept and Best in Live Rhythm.

Headed by barangay captain Arnel Benjamin, Banago’s mask designer was Ronelo Mabilog, while its costume designers were Mabilog and Joseph Ferdinand Silva.

Barangay 17 was first runner-up, Barangay Tangub—second runner-up, Barangay 23—third runner-up, and Barangay Alijis—fourth runner-up.

Choreographed by Frederick Endrada, Barangay 17 was also adjudged Best in Choreography. It was also first runner-up and Best in Choreography last year.

Barangay Alijis, whose mask and costume were designed by Emiljune Bantolo, also won the Best in Costume and Best in Mask awards.

Banago, one of Bacolod’s biggest barangays, will receive P100,000 as cash prize. Barangay 17 will get P75,000; Barangay Tangub—P50,000; Barangay 23—P30,000; and Barangay Alijis—P20,000.

Banago will also get the P20,000 as LBC Prize for Best in Live Rhythm, while the rest of the 14 live bands will get  P2,000 each as consolation prize.

The Best in Live Rhythm is a new award as this is the first time the festival streetdancing used live music.

The Top 3 winners have been invited to perform in Salute to Bacolod program on Oct. 18, 7 pm. at the Bacolod City Government Center.

The awarding of streetdance winners will be on the closing rites on Oct. 19, 6 p.m. at the Bacolod Public Plaza. (PR)

Photos by James Toga

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The 32nd MassKara Festival that opened October 1 is expected to increase tourist influx to Bacolod City throughout the 19-day festival.

Acting Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, in his message during the opening ceremonies last Saturday at the public plaza, said the MassKara Festival has evolved from a simple dance parade to what it is now — world-class.

He thanked festival organizers and the sponsors for bringing the MassKara to a level where it is now known throughout the world.

“We are hoping that in this 19 days of celebration, we could bring Bacolod to the forefront of the tourism industry,” Sayson said.

He explained that Mayor Evelio Leonardia requested him to express the mayor’s greetings to the people of Bacolod on the opening of the festival, and to explain that he could not come because he is in Indonesia to represent Bacolod and the Philippines in the meeting of five ASEAN countries.

Also present at the opening rites were Councilors Homer Bais, Roberto Rojas, El Cid Familiaran, and Al Victor Espino.

The plaza has turned into a virtual MassKara park with the lighting up of the bandstand and the 19 giant mask-lanterns.

The mask-lanterns are entries of the inmates from 19 district jails all over the province to the 1st Priso Mask-Making Competition in partnership with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

As part of the Petronas Day of the festival, which also falls on the opening day, Petronas Energy Philippines president and chief executive officer Carlos Corpuz and senior manager Elbert Munasque distributed gifts to the BJMP jail wardens in recognition of their participation to the festival.

The opening ceremonies were capped by fireworks display, afterwhich, the 1st MassKara dance showdown, in partnership with GMA TV, held an elimination round for 20 competing dance groups. Ten finalists will compete on the grand finals.

Festival director Eli F. J. Tajanlangit said the 2011 MassKara festival is “writing history.”

For the first time in 32 years, he said, the MassKara streetdancing competitions will use live, original music, composed, scored, arranged and performed by our barangay-based musicians and choreographers.

Three MassKara landmarks, designed to be photo opportunity sites for visitors and tourists are also mounted: a MassKara Billboard of Lights, along Araneta-Gonzaga Streets; a lighted Bacolod public plaza bandstand; and the Majica MassKara installation at the Bacolod Government Center which will be unveiled on Oct. 7, he said.

Tajanlangit said three major activities are being added this year: the 1st Priso Mask-Lantern Making Competition, the 1st MassKara Dance Showdown, which is designed to popularize different forms of MassKara dancers, and the 1st MassKara Preview, also in partnership with GMA TV, which is a fashion show of the costumes that will be worn during the streetdancing competitions on Oct. 15 and 16.

This year is also the second time that the MassKara Festival is partnering with the Diocese of Bacolod for the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary on Oct. 9. Prior to that, we are holding Living Rosaries for nine days leading to it, he said.

The MassKara Queen Coronation Night is set Monday, Oct. 17, at the University of Saint La Salle coliseum, and the next day, Oct. 18, we shall hold “Salute to Bacolod!” at the Bacolod Government Center, he said.

The festival will end Oct. 19 with grand awarding rites at the Bacolod Public Plaza, during which we will also hold the grand finals of the 1st MassKara Dance Showdown, he said.

This year’s theme “Celebrating the New Icons of Bacolod” is a way of recognizing the new structures, landmarks, institutions, and personalities that have dramatically transformed Bacolod into what it is now, Tajanlangit added. (PR)

The official theme, logo, and website of the 2011 MassKara Festival were unveiled yesterday at the Business Inn, while the orientation for streetdance competition and Electric MassKara float parade competition is set tomorrow, Friday.

This year’s theme, “Celebrating the New Icons of Bacolod,” gives emphasis on the new places and structures that have risen in our city in recent years that prove how far Bacolod had gone in terms of progress and development, festival director Eli Francis Tajanlangit said.

“This year’s MassKara Festival will focus on these new icons—landmarks, structures, institutions, and even personalities—that have dramatically transformed Bacolod in recent years,” he said.

Some of these new icons are, but not limited to, the Bacolod City Government Center, the Pope John Paul II Tower, SM City Bacolod, East Block, The Chalet of L’Fisher Hotel, Planta Hotel, and Art District, he said.

The theme also supports the “Balik Bacolod” program of Mayor Evelio Leonardia aimed at bringing balikbayans to Bacolod in October for the 32nd MassKara Festival.

Balik-Bacolod, Leonardia added, is essentially “a reunion of Bacoleños from all walks of life, brought together to celebrate the joys of life as one big community,”

Tajanlangit said this October is the best time for our balikbayans to come home, rediscover Bacolod and witness what has become of their city.

“As we go back to the original meaning of the festival, we find that MassKara is a celebration of everything the Bacolod community has achieved,” Tajanlangit said.

“Many of these reasons for celebration are the new landmarks in our midst. We may have ignored or overlooked them but they’re here, and they’re worth celebrating,” he added.

The 2011 MassKara festival logo was designed by veteran Bacolod visual artist and fine arts professor Bamboo Tonogbanua who has also been commissioned to do the trophies for all the official competitions of the 32nd MassKara Festival.

Tonogbanua said the logo shows a spectrum of colors that the festival is famous for, adding that the logo combines the glamorous but realistic portrayal of the mask, itself a symbol of the festival, and the vibrant colors of the MassKara Festival.

The hair of the mask is illustrated like flowing ribbons to symbolize the lively and festive atmosphere of the festival, he said.

The headdress of the mask showed symbols of the new icons of Bacolod: the Bacolod City Government Center, the Blessed John Paul II Tower, and other rising business structures.

Also in the headdress are the public plaza’s bandstand, where the MassKara streetdancing competitions are held, and the Philippine flag, to symbolize patriotism.

The official website of the 2011 MassKara festival, www.themasskarafestival.com was also unveiled yesterday.  Starting today, this website will be updated regularly to inform Filipinos and tourists here and abroad of the exciting events leading to October, the official month of the MassKara Festival.

Meanwhile, the orientation for the streetdance competition and the Electric MassKara float parade competition is set tomorrow, at the MassKara Hall 3 and 4 of the Bacolod Government Center, Rudy Reveche, streetdance committee chairman, announced.

Representatives of each of the 61 barangays in Bacolod are enjoined to attend, he said. Registration starts at 2 p.m. and the orientation starts at 2:30 p.m., he said.

Guidelines for the competition as well as the innovations to be implemented in this year’s contests will be discussed, Reveche added.  (PR)

Crisostomo Ibarra, the protagonist in Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, leaps from the pages of the incendiary novel and onto the stage in a contemporary dance retelling by Ballet Philippines July 25, 2011 at the Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod Gym with 2 shows at 2PM and 6PM.

Artists’ groups of Negros Dance Pull Dance Company and The Performance Laboratory Inc. come together with The  Negros Museum to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal with this rare performance of Ballet Philippines in Bacolod City.

Under the choreography of Paul Alexander Morales (Artistic Director of Ballet Philippines) and music by Jed Balsamo, Crisostomo Ibarra springs to life in a new production about a young man’s struggles to stand tall in his ideals despite the cruel buffets of fate. The dance narration takes the audience inside the psychological world of Ibarra and strips bare this epic story that underscores the continuing relevance of Rizal’s timeless character.

Crisostomo Ibarra, the dance, highlights the life of an idealist reformer, a man striving to make a change in a society living under corruption and oppression. It takes an introspective look at the life of a hero sacrificing his personal happiness for love for country. The dance resonates with hope and reflects the Filipinos’ need for heroes in a society buffeted by many challenges and divergent beliefs.

Crisostomo Ibarra is presented in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in celebration of the Philippines as the ASEAN Cultural Capital for 2010-2011. It topbills Jean Marc Cordero reprising Crisostomo Ibarra; silver medalist in the recently concluded International Ballet Competition, Candice Adea, as Maria Clara; Kit Trofeo, Angel Gabriel, and Carissa Adea lead the cast. The BP touring group also includes Bacolod’s Macel Dofitas.

This production is Ballet Philippines’ second offering for its 41st season, Hero’s Journey. An excellent artistic and educational supplement for students taking Filipino and Rizal classes, Crisostomo Ibarra brings together history and ballet in this new interpretation of the novel that shaped a nation. Crisostomo Ibarra is a winner for Outstanding Dance Production and Outstanding Ensemble Performance in the upcoming 2010 Gawad Buhay Awards for the Performing Arts.

Tickets of P1000, P500, P300 and P100 are available at the Negros Museum 708-5080, MMB Dance Center 707-7164, Lydia Gaston School of Dance 453-0226, The Garcia-Sanchez School of Dance 434-8139 and Dance Pull Dance School 456-1291. Students will be given 30% discount and bulk purchases can avail of special discounts also.  (PR)

Barangay Punta Taytay headed by its chieftain Rufino Alcala along with his kagawads kicked off its week-long 50th Charter Celebration with a community parade around the major thoroughfares of the village and neighboring barangay in Bacolod City yesterday.

Punta Taytay is a coastal barangay, which is a flat lowland situated in the southern most part of the city and approximately 76.16 hectares wide. It’s one of the fishing villages in Bacolod gifted with a beautiful shoreline and abundant marine resources that is maintained with a regular clean-up by its local community.

Originally, the village has 15 puroks until the influx of local citizens from nearby barangays and even municipalities decided reside in Punta Taytay which increased the population. This made the barangay officials that time to create more puroks to deliver the much needed basic purposes to the community.

Now, Brgy Punta Taytay has 17 puroks – Seawall, Masipag, Mabinuligon, Maabi-abihon, Mahinangpanon, Masinulundon, Katilingbon, Makawiwili, Paraiso, Orchids, Bayanihan I & II, Kapawa, Manga, Kaingin I & II, and Maki-angayon – to effectively be governed under the leadership of Brgy Captain Alcala.

Meanwhile, the schedule of activities for today are Bingo Social (BHW) at 1 PM and Dinner for a Cause with a Live Band at 6 PM, all will be held at the Barangay Gym.

The rest of the activities are as follows: tomorrow, Wednesday – Dental & Blood-letting at 9 AM and Chess Tournament (Finals) at 5 PM, Barangay Gym; March 17, Thursday – Thanksgiving Mass at 7 AM, Awarding Ceremonies at 9:30 AM, Barangay General Assembly at 2 PM, and Benefit Dance (Tricycle Association) at 8 PM, Barangay Gym; March 18, Friday – Parade of Contestants for Body Shot at 8 AM in Barangay Gym, Lusok in Villa Palma & Body Painting in Higad Baybay at 2 PM, Body Shot Pre-Pageant in Higad Baybay at 3 PM, and Body Shot Finals & Coronation of Miss Charter Day in Higad Baybay at 8 PM;

Saturday, March 19 – Parade & Opening of Palarong Pambarangay (SK) in Barangay Gym at 8 AM, Lusok at 2 PM, Amazing Race at 3 PM, and Battle of the Bands in Barangay Gym at 8 PM; and Sunday, March 10 – Patik Patik Streetdance Competition in Purok Maki-angayon at 1 PM, Lusok at 2 PM, and Live Band in Barangay Gym at 8 PM.

When I witnessed Manny Pacquiao (52 KO38-3-2) demolish Marco Antonio Barrera (67 KO44-7-0) in the 11th round with a barrage of unanswered punches way back in 2003, I became an instant follower of Pacquiao’s fights up until his dominating performance against Antonio Margarito (38 KO27-7-0) in the superwelterweight division last year. Now, he has achieved superstar status in the boxing world and a future hall of famer being the first boxer to capture 8 world titles in 8 diffirent weight division.

There’s no point of comparison to our local boxing champions, Arthur Villanueva (15 KO11-0-0) and Merlito Sabillo (15 KO6-0-0) in Pacquiao’s achievements but Negros Occidental has long been a breeding ground of champions both in the amatuer and proffessional levels. Naming a few popular pugs would be the Velasco brothers Roel & Mansueto, Elias Recaido Jr., Pancho Villa, Ben Villaflor, and Donnie Nietes.  

Last Saturday, February 26, reigning Games & Amusement Board (GAB) flyweight champion Art “El Matador” Villanueva of Bago City retained his crown via a 1st round Technical Knock Out (TKO) over rated number 4 challenger Samuel Apuya (3 KO1-5-0) of Bangued, Abra at the Casino Filipino Hotel Ampitheatre, Pagcor Hotel, Bacolod City last Saturday, February 26, 2011.

A left hook and a barrage of punches by Villanueva was way too much for Apuya to handle and was knocked down for the last time at 2:23 minutes in the first round. By knocking down Apuya 3 times in that round, the referee stopped the fight and declared El Matador the winner. It was the first title defense for the 22-year-old boxer who is eyeing a 2nd title fight in Cebu against an unnamed contender.

In the supporting bout, GAB minimumweight champion Junjun “D’ Tiger” Sabillo of Toboso, Negros Occidental also knocked out Bukidnon’s Jade Yagahon (4 KO2-2-1) of Sajulga Stable in 0:27 seconds left in the third round.

Sabillo connected a hard punch on Yagahon after an exchange of flurry punches in the opening of round 3. Yagahon did not beat the count prompting the referee to stop the fight via TKO. Both Villanueva and Sabillo are under the Top Prime Stable (TPS) managed by Henry Guanzon of Bacolod City.

Results in the undercard: Jaime Barcelona TKO’d Kevin De la Cruz of TPS in round 5 due to a swollen left jaw in the 135-lb division, Rhay-Rhay Guanzon of TPS decisions Andy Adajar in the 112-lb division, Leonard Guardiano of TPS wins a split decision over Jason Egera & Jerry Nardo of TPS KO’d Nikong Calamba in round 5, both in the 126-lb division, and Joeven Hisona wins in majority decision against Hermil Saguire, Sr. of TPS in the 105-lb division.

The fight was presented by JR Eagle & Naris Singhwangcha Promotion.

Calling all bloggers in Bacolod City and nearby provinces, we at Negros Bloggers Club invites you to join our blogging talk on October 14, 2010 at SM City Bacolod Training Room, around 2:00 – 5:00pm. The event is entitled, Blogging: Unmasked. The resource persons will be Eric Dee, a celebrated travel blogger whose accounts of his travels around the country can be found at www.byahilo.com and Fitz Villafuerte, personal finance guru and talks about business and investing at his blog, Ready to be Rich (www.fitzvillafuerte.com). At our blogging event, our guest speakers will be talking about interesting topics such as travel blogging, photography tips and how to make money online.

For interested parties, please RSVP at our Facebook Events Page found HERE.

This event is sponsored by SM City Bacolod, Havaianas Philippines, Party Solution Bacolod, Negros Daily Bulletin and Negros Bloggers.

Be part of the BIGGEST and the BEST Private BPO in Bacolod!

APPLY and GET HIRED from September 20 – 30, 2010 & have a chance to WIN an Apple iPod Shuffle!

WANTED: Technical Support Representatives for Premium Cable Accounts

A Technical Support Specialist interface with customers via inbound or outbound calls or the Internet for the purpose of resolving routine problems with products or services.

Requirements:

We are looking for candidates who at least completed 2 years of college preferably a Computer related course

Excellent communication skills in English

We need candidates who are familiar with basic computer operations

Having a previous technical support background is an advantage

Has an ability to apply a logical problem solving approach to resolving customer problems and inquiries

Has strong interpersonal skills and ability to think independently and follow through effectively

Strong customer service orientation.

Applicants must be willing to work on graveyard shifts, shifting/rotation of schedules, working on holidays, working on weekends and rendering overtime.

Applicants should be Filipino citizens or hold relevant residence status.

Applicants must be willing to work in BACOLOD.

WANTED: Email Support Experts for a US & UK Retail Accounts

A Email Support Specialists handle customers via inbound, outbound calls and email for the purpose of post sales service. Responsibilities include post sales and support work plus handling miscellaneous customer service and general information calls via the phone or Internet.

Requirements:

Candidate must possess at least a Vocational Diploma / Short Course Certificate, Bachelor’s/College Degree , Post Graduate Diploma / Master’s Degree, any field.

Proficiency with various software applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel.

Good knowledge of general office practice and business etiquette.

Accurate and efficient typing skills.

Efficient organizational skills.

Ability to follow through on work assignments.

Has above average communication skills.

Required language(s): English

Must have a strong interpersonal skills and ability to think independently and follow through effectively

Must be goal oriented

Must be flexible and eager to learn new processes

Applicants must be willing to work in Bacolod City.

WANTED: Health Care Advocates

A Healthcare Specialist interface with customers via inbound or outbound calls or the Internet for the purpose of passively (i.e., order taking) or actively selling products and services. Responsibilities include processing customer orders and sales providing and receiving various information up-selling client products plus handling miscellaneous customer service and general information calls via the phone or Internet.

Requirements:

At least completed 2 years of college preferably a Computer related course

Above average communication skills in English

Basic computer operations knowledge

Courteous with strong customer service orientation.

Strong interpersonal skills and ability to think independently and follow through effectively

Proficient attention to detail.

Good listening and responding skills.

Good sales skills with the ability to be flexible.

Required language(s): English

Applicants must be willing to work on graveyard shifts, shifting/rotation of schedules, working on holidays, working on weekends and rendering overtime.

Applicants should be Filipino citizens or hold relevant residence status.

Applicants must be willing to work in BACOLOD.

WANTED: Customer Service Associate

A Customer Service Associate handles general customer inquiries like account status and product information. They generally take in account records requests, handle marketing escalations, handle escalated calls and gives voice recognition walkthroughs.

Requirements:

At least completed 2 years of college preferably a Computer related course

Above average communication skills in English

Basic computer operations knowledge

An ability to handle irate customer situations effectively and empathize with them with a courteous voice tone

An ability to deliver information at customer’s knowledge level in an understandable manner

An ability to apply a logical problem solving approach to resolving customer problems and inquiries

Strong interpersonal skills and ability to think independently and follow through effectively

Strong customer service orientation.

Applicants must be willing to work on graveyard shifts, shifting/rotation of schedules, working on holidays, working on weekends and rendering overtime.

Applicants should be Filipino citizens or hold relevant residence status.

Applicants must be willing to work in BACOLOD.

If you think you qualify for the said job openings, please FILL-UP the form below:

Negros Museum cordially invites everyone to join the WORKSHOPS @THE NEGROS MUSEUM presenting a Puppetry Workshop this coming September 28-29, 2010. This workshop is ideal for Pre-school Teachers and interested individuals working closely with children. “PUPPETS @ THE NEGROS MUSEUM”, to be facilitated by Mr. Jaime Chua, will be a 2-day workshop.

This is another program designed by The Negros Museum with the museum’s Tuklas Learning Center to offer alternative ways of teaching children through infusing arts and culture to the conventional ways of learning.

Kindly call 433-4764 or email negros_museum96@yahoo.com for more info.