Panaad sa Negros Festival
Encyclopedia
The Panaad sa Negros Festival, also called the Panaad Festival, is a festival held annually during the month of April in Bacolod City
, the capital of Negros Occidental
province in the Philippines
. Panaad is the Hiligaynon
word for "vow" or "promise"; the festival is a form of thanksgiving to Divine Providence
and commemoration of a vow in exchange for a good life. The celebration is held at the Panaad Park, which also houses the Panaad Stadium
, and is participated in by the 13 cities and 19 towns of the province. For this reason, the province dubs it the "mother" of all its festivals.
The first Panaad sa Negros Festival was held at Capitol Park and Lagoon
in a three-day affair in 1993 that started April 30. The festival was held at the lagoon fronting the Provincial Capitol for the first four years. As the festival grew each year, it became necessary to locate a more spacious venue. In 1997, the festival was held at the reclaimed area near where the Bredco Port is located today.
The construction of the Panaad Stadium
and sports complex paved the way for the establishment of the Panaad Park as the permanent home of the festival.
Bacolod City
The City of Bacolod , is a highly urbanized midsize Philippine city. It is the capital of the Negros Occidental province. Having a total of 499,497 inhabitants as of August 1, 2007, it is the most populous city in the Western Visayas Region. It is currently ranked as the 17th most populous city in...
, the capital of Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
province in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Panaad is the Hiligaynon
Hiligaynon language
Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...
word for "vow" or "promise"; the festival is a form of thanksgiving to Divine Providence
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
and commemoration of a vow in exchange for a good life. The celebration is held at the Panaad Park, which also houses the Panaad Stadium
Panaad Stadium
The Panaad Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located inside the Panaad Park and Sports Complex in Bacolod, Philippines. Owned by the Negros Occidental provincial government, it is used for football matches, and is the adopted home of the Philippines national football team...
, and is participated in by the 13 cities and 19 towns of the province. For this reason, the province dubs it the "mother" of all its festivals.
The first Panaad sa Negros Festival was held at Capitol Park and Lagoon
Capitol Park and Lagoon
The Capitol Park and Lagoon is a provincial park located in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, in the Philippines. One of the features of the park are matching sculptures depicting a woman standing alongside a water buffalo and that of a man pulling another water buffalo. These sculptures are...
in a three-day affair in 1993 that started April 30. The festival was held at the lagoon fronting the Provincial Capitol for the first four years. As the festival grew each year, it became necessary to locate a more spacious venue. In 1997, the festival was held at the reclaimed area near where the Bredco Port is located today.
The construction of the Panaad Stadium
Panaad Stadium
The Panaad Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located inside the Panaad Park and Sports Complex in Bacolod, Philippines. Owned by the Negros Occidental provincial government, it is used for football matches, and is the adopted home of the Philippines national football team...
and sports complex paved the way for the establishment of the Panaad Park as the permanent home of the festival.