Panaad sa Negros Festival 2023 Opening Ceremonies

The Panaad sa Negros Festival 2023 opened with much grandeur and anticipation at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City. It was obvious that everyone was so excited for the Mother of Festivals to re-open and celebrate what Negros Occidental has to offer after a three-year hiatus.

• Related: Panaad sa Negros Festival 2023 Schedule of Activities

Grand Opening of the Panaad sa Negros Festival 2023

With much anticipation, thousands of Negrosanons flocked to the Panaad Park and Stadium in Mansilingan, Bacolod City to witness the grand opening ceremonies of the Panaad sa Negros Festival 2023.

The event was led by Negros Occidental Governor Jose Eugenio “Bong” Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer. Meanwhile, all the city and municipal mayors along with other local officials and tourism officers attended the event.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Sen. Francis Tolentino, and Sen. Bong Go were the guests of honor, who all lauded the efforts of the provincial government to bring everything together. Meanwhile, Gov. Bong thanked everyone’s support and cooperation, as he said that the Panaad Festival is everyone’s event. He also enjoined everyone listening to spend money and patronize the products of the LGU booths and the trade fair to get the local economy going.

Hosted by Robi Domingo, the highlight of the opening ceremonies were the flag-raising and the emblem lighting done by the different LGUs.

Blessed by good weather, the event was capped with a fireworks display that lasted almost five minutes, thus signaling the official opening of the week-long event.

The Lin-ay sang Negros 2023 coronation night will be on Friday, April 21, at the Panaad Stadium.

• Related: Lin-ay sang Negros 2023 Muse of the Media

What is the Panaad sa Negros Festival?

The Panaad sa Negros Festival, which is also simply called the Panaad Festival, is dubbed the Mother of Festivals. Held annually for an entire week during the month of April in Bacolod, the capital of Negros Occidental, Panaad simply means “vow” or “promise” in Hiligaynon. The term comes from the root word “saad” — which signifies that the Panaad festival is a form of thanksgiving to God and a commemoration of a vow in exchange for a good life.

It is the only Philippine festival with a permanent facility — the 25-hectare Panaad Park and Stadium (also called the Panaad Sports Complex) that operates all year round. The 32 cities and municipalities of Negros Occidental are well-represented in the Panaad Park, complete with their own pavilions, gardens, and open spaces. Each LGU is then free to design its pavilions and present its world-class culture, crafts, food, and other products.

• Related: Negros Occidental Tourist Destinations to Visit

For all its accomplishments and the cooperation of all the cities and municipalities, the Panaad Festival has been awarded Best Tourism Event (Festival division) in the ATOP-DOT Pearl Awards for 3 consecutive years. Subsequently, the ATOP-DOT Pearl Awards handed the Hall of Fame trophy to the Province of Negros Occidental in 20217 for consistently excelling in this field.

Panaad Park LGU Map

Below is the Panaad Festival 2023 map to guide you on the location of the various LGU pavilions and the different exhibits.