By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson declared Sunday night that this year’s Panaad sa Negros festival “is indeed a feat.”
“Panaad sa Negros truly came back with all the Negrenses’ might,” Lacson said during the closing and awarding ceremony of the 7-day festivities at the Panaad Park and Stadium.
The governor added, “This year’s Panaad is indeed a renewed promise to the Negrenses that we will not only regain what we have lost, but we are going to be better, we are going to do better, and we will go after our full potential.”
“Panaad is a venue for our LGUs (local government units) to showcase their best products, talents, and festivals – and they did not perform as expected – they exceeded all expectations.”
This year’s Panaad resulted in more than P20 million in sales for all participating LGUs and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), data from the provincial information showed.
Lacson further said that this is a good jumpstart for our MSMEs.
He also noted a “very good crowd turn-out since Day 1 and a good number of international and national guests” who visited and attended the festival.
This year is the first Panaad sa Negros Festival to be celebrated under the Lacson administration after a 3-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lacson also said that the closing and awarding ceremonies of the Panaad sa Negros Festival 2023 are a culmination of all the hard work of the LGUs, Panaad committees, and everyone who helped.
“Most of all, it is a testament to the harmony and cooperation of all Negrenses from the northernmost city of the province, San Carlos City, to the southernmost town of Hinobaan,” he pointed out.
On feedback that one week for the Panaad sa Negros is not enough, Lacson said the return of the annual festival is “truly a hit.”
With God’s grace and our continued cooperation and support to one another, Negros Occidental is on its way to regaining what we have lost during the pandemic, the governor said.
Meanwhile, Capitol data on the one-week earnings of the Panaad sa Negros Festival 2023 showed that it reached P20,030,904.50.
Topping the list are the LGU booths with P14,074,566.60, the kiosks with P5,611,528, and the Trade Fair with P344,810.
The highest daily sales were recorded on April 21, 2023 with P4,508,820.
