NIGHT MARKET and FOOD TRUCKS CRAZE: MEGAWORLD The Upper East

 Outdoor night markets are fun and stress-relieving. It's a place and time that you can explore without having to worry about the heat of the sun and workloads back home.  

EXPLORE THE NIGHT MARKER (NIGHT VIDEO)

CHILL UNDER THE STARS
Everything seemed relaxed and you'll get to see infectious smiles while you walk along the tent after tent. You'll see people chatting over good food and bonding. That's how this event can turn a seemingly boring weekend into a happy one.  

NIGHTS BECOME ALIVE
Years ago, night markets aren't the in-thing in Bacolod. Usually, around 7pm, most people tend to go home already and wanted to spend their nights watching TV, spend the remaining evening with their family, or resting after a day's work. These days when Megaworld The Upper East decided to have weekend night markets on its vicinity, the lifestyle of many Bacolenos changed. 

WATCH a mobile PIZZERIA  cooks a Calzone using a Brick Oven (Video)

FOOD FOR THE FAMILIES
Many families wanted to dine out and instead going out to restaurants, they go to night market where smoke, smell and sound are welcoming them. The tasty Bacolod Chicken Inasal like that from JT Manokan is ever present among other street food like pizzas, tanghulus, burgers, fried chicken, and more.

FOOD TRUCKS CRAZE
Not only Megaworld The Upper East started the Night Market craze. It has also introduced a place where people can walk and dine and choose from different local food trucks. One can enjoy coffee, shawarma, and other tasty food with affordable prices and can dine out under the clear night sky. 

MUSIC MIXES WITH AIR
The food trucks has grown that one area of The Upper East is full of people enjoying the night away, with bands playing music or foreigners busking. Indeed, the night market and food trucks did put a vigor in the city where there's a big gap for night time activities. Now, everyone can enjoy alone or with families and still be safe 'til almost midnight. 

BAMBOO ROCKS BACOLOD MASSKARA FESTIVAL DESPITE TYPHOON

The MassKara week is almost over but then Typhoon Kristine started to wreak havoc and an LPA, possibly, another Typhoon (to be named Leo) threatens the rest of MassKara weekend. But despite all of these, most people didn't worry and still wanted to enjoy the festivities and one proof is Bamboo's concert at the Bacolod City Government Center last rainy Thursday (see video below)

RIVERMAYA NOSTALGIA
Belting out songs from his Rivermaya years like Elesi, Mabuhay!, Hinahap-hanap Kita, Bamboo is so glad to see people braivng the rain just to see their The Voice  coach idol. 
However, rain did affect some eating stalls beside the area but still you can feel the Filipino resiliency still unstoppable. Many kiosk are ready for the rain. With smiles on their faces, they do run to protect their food as if it depends on their lives. 

Concertgoers at Bamboo Night 

MORE ARTISTS FROM MANILA
The Thursday act was challenging compared to the sunny and non-rainyday concerts sponsored by PureGold and BingoPlus the next day. SB19 was the highlight artists of PureGold's MassKaravan wherein a record of 150,000 flocked to Bacolod City Government Center. Kz Tandingan and TJ Monteverde and Piolo Pascual, meanwhile, serenaded concertgoers during the Bingo Plus Night Concert. 

Kym's Grill

RESILIENCY DESPITE THE RAIN
The typhoon maybe be harsh to revelers and the peope who do business during MassKara. But actually, through a historical flashback, the origins of the Bacolod MassKara Festival was actually sadder and harsher. It can be traced back to the 1980s when Negros Occidental, considered the sugar bowl of the Philippines, suffered a terrible crisis when its sugar was priced at an all-time low because of alternatives introduced in the market resulting in one of the infamous famines in the country’s history. 

SMILE COVERS THE SAD HISTORY 

Added to it was the sinking Negros Navigation's MV Don Juan, a tragic ferry accident carrying mostly Negrosanons including those prominent families of Bacolod and most of them are fresh graduates from Manila's universities excited to go home to celebrate. These events overshadowed the usual life of Negrosanons. 

Local artists with LGU, in the spirit of resiliency, created MassKara  Festival out of these heartbreaking origins. The idea of covering one's face with a smiling mask gave birth to an annual competition that celebrates life despite the hardships.

MassKara Festival and Moonlight

BALIK YUHUM 

Another sad event, Covid Pandemic, also inspired the BALIK YUHUM MassKara anthem and bigger celebrations during Mayor Albee Benitez's term. Indeed, it's nice to look at the fireworks every salubong night of the MassKara, a symbol of hope and happiness despite the odds.

Let's enjoy at the Lacson St. this Masskara! 

STREET FOOD CULTURE in BACOLOD

Asia is one of continents in the world that has a different street vibe compared to other places. For one, like in Thailand and China, exotic street food abound. The different aroma in the air are so strong that you get easily hungry. Being a tourist, cultural food should be a must on the list in the itinerary. 

Grilled Balut

THRIVING INDUSTRY
Street food is a big industry albeit however some see the people behind it, the vendors as nuisance or illegals. However, this thriving economy has become a part of Asian or Filipino culture.

EVOLUTION IN THE MODERN ERA
Originally, kanto food is focused on carinderias (food eatery by the road) but now, it has evolved into something mobile. Vendors now show up at any places like parks, townships (like in the Megaworld The Upper East or at the back of Bacolod City Government Center in Bacolod City, and pop-up carts or food trucks.  

On sticks and plastic cups

SOME CHALLENGES
Now, with these foldable or mobile trucks, people can pay affordable food and enjoy it outdoors or simply, order them as a take away. The only drawback with this kind of business is the weather. When it rains or if there's an incoming typhoom, only few customers might show up.

GLOBAL CULINARY INVASION
Philippines' street food scene is not focused solely on Pinoy cuisine as a whole but it has become a fusion of cultures, traditions, tastes, cooking and styles. It has evolved so much.  Now, you can find  Arabic cuisines like Shawarma, Hummus, Shawarma Rice as well as Chinese ice candy Tanghulu and siomai; Japanese Tempura and Kikiam, Korean's Kimbop and Cordog, Mexican Burritos, Tacos, Nachos, Chimi Changa, Italian's Pizza and there's the Taiwanese Milk Tea too. 

Beef Pares Overload is so trendy now thanks to Paresan queen, Diwata in Manila

TRENDY AND CLASSIC PINOY FOOD
And for authentic Filipino traditional street food, there's the tasty and popular Balut, bbq on sticks like the Chicken Inasal,  Beef Pares Overload. For the kids, there are pancake, cotton
candy, choros and popcorn.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
If given the training and support from Government like from DOT (Department of Trade), people especially those who are jobless can embrace this kind of opportunities, giving them hope to start small, but also to dream big. Having a street venture with value, cleanliness and respect customer is an honest work, after all.