This Week in Bacolod (April 15 to 21, 2018)

Thunderstorms are to be expected throughout the week, and are quite likely to occur on April 19 to April 22. According to AccuWeather Forecast, the minimum temperature will be at 25 °C, while the maximum temperature will be at 34 °C [1]. The public is advised to bring umbrellas and raincoats during the week in order to be fully protected during the festivities in Panaad sa Negros Festival.

Six sets of traffic lights worth PhP20 million were acquired by the Government of Bacolod City to address the complications of traffic in some areas in the metro. These will be installed in the areas of Hilado (Shopping)-6th Streets, Gonzaga-Lopez-Jaena Streets, Circumferential Road-Las Palmas (Gonzaga Extension), Lizarez-Lacson Streets (Lupit Church), Alijis Road-Araneta Street (Old Airport), and Sum-ag-Crossing Abuanan [2].

Since installation has started two weeks ago, this could mean that tourists and locals who will be going to the Panaad Festival would experience less traffic congestions in the areas with the new traffic lights. The Bacolod City Government also looks forward to install more traffic lights within this year.

Since many people from different parts of the country will be going to Bacolod City because of Panaad sa Negros sang Festival, it is expected that airplane tickets and boat trips will be fully booked so tourists are advised to book their flights early to secure seats. People who are coming from Iloilo and nearby islands who plan to travel by boat are advised to reserve tickets earlier as well.

Tourists coming in for Panaad sa Negros festival are recommended to check the status of major hotels in Bacolod City online if there are available space to stay. Major hotels like Seda Hotel and L’fisher Hotel last week said that they are almost fully booked. Still, tourists need not to worry as there are a lot of new hotels the Bacolod City that they you can choose from. It is recommended to check in to hotels in the southern part of the city so that it will be easier for you to go to Panaad Park and Stadium.

More than 1,000 law enforcers and civilian volunteers will be initially deployed for the safety of the 25th Panaad sa Negros Festival. The security force is projected to increase and is all set according to Inspector Charmae De Paz, public information officer of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office. [4] Tourists and visitors will see a lot of police assistance hubs, checkpoint operations, police visibility, and security patrols during the festival. It is also advised for tourists and visitors not to bring any sharp objects like knife, ice pick and others for the security of the festival.

Panaad sa Negros Festival not only lets tourists experience the culture and lifestyle of Negrense, but it also aims to expose them to various products of the participating localities, as cities and municipalities have an individual pavilion at the Panaad Park and Stadium. The festival also consists of a livestock and dairy fair, organic village, agri-trade fair and exhibits, and more.