Juan Philippines - Juan's Heritage

JUAN's Heritage
Juan Philippines - Your Ultimate Travel Guide

Featuring the Negrense Specialty
Text and Photos by Eileen Campos

Being fully immersed in a street of drum thumping and whistle blowing takes the definition of fiesta to another level. The beat infiltrates my system through every orifice of my body. It overtakes all forms of muscular movement. Suddenly, my hip starts to sway followed by a bopping head. Before I could do anything about it, extremities are waving in the air and stomping on the pavement. With everybody else dancing on the street, who am I to do differently?

Even before the main parade, there are days and nights of street dancing and parades that are practically non-stop. Schools, barangays, professional groups – they all don feathers, sequins, fur and multi-colored ruffles.They take to the streets armed with month-long rehearsed choreography. It all culminates on the very last day when the best of the best shake every inch of what their mamas gave them.

The Masskara differs from different fiestas because this celebration makes use of different elaborate masks - heavily decorated in the most stunning colors and accessories and all with a perpetual smile plastered on them. Some headdresses easily clock in at four kilos while others accompany their masks with massive wings and tails. Born from the ashes of a societal and economic depressive state in Negros, a ballpark of about three decades ago, the Masskara was born celebrating the Negrense ability and determination to triumph over exasperating circumstances..