Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia announced yesterday that the MassKara Festival dancers of the city had topped the foreign entries participating in the Midosuji Festival parade in Osaka, West Japan Sunday.

The participating entries included those of Peru, Ecuador, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Brazil, Hawaii, China, United States and Germany, as well as the University of Washington.

"World Class, that is what our MassKara has become," Leonardia triumphantly said.

Philippine Tourism Attache to Japan Valentino Cabansag said this is the first time in the history of the Midosuji Festival that a Philippine entry has won over other foreign entries. The contest was opened to foreign participants in 1997.

The MassKara dancers from Barangay Villamonte was the entry of the Philippine Department of Tourism in the festival this year.

The Midosuji Festival, which had the theme "Bringing the World Together," was organized by the Osaka 21st Century Association.

Last year the MassKara dancers were also a hit when they participated in the Shanghai, China festival.

Bacolod Councilor Homer Bais said the MassKara Festival dancers, also won second place in the overall contest in Osaka, which was dominated by Japanese entries.

The Bacolod delegation included Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, Alijis Barangay Captain Pepito Malapitan, Bacolod Senior Tourism Operations Officer Butch Gerasmo, and choreographer Segundo Jesus Cabalcar Jr.

The MassKara dancers and the Bacolod delegation were met by Leonardia yesterday in Manila on their arrival from Japan.

Bais said Malapitan was included in the delegation since Barangay Alijis had won second place in the streetdance competition last year. He said this is an incentive to the barangays so they will aim to do better and qualify for foreign contests.

Barangay Captain Andre Victor Las Piñas had joined the Shanghai Tourism Festival in China headed by Leonardia last year.

The MassKara dancers had also joined the Chinggay Festival in Singapore in 1998 and the Lunar Festival in Hong Kong in 2001.

Upon their arrival in Japan, the MassKara group participated in the Nakanoshima Riverside Festival at the Osaka Central Public Hall on Friday and the Parade Eve Festival at the Ogimachi Park on Saturday.

The International Marching Band Festival was held Monday at the Expo Commemoration Park at Shuita City, Japan. The Filipino community in Japan joined the parade in their MassKara Festival attire patterned after that of the Brgy. Villamonte dancers in 2003.*CGS

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