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 the province of Negros Occidental, 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 and Stadium, which also houses the Panaad Sports Complex, and is participated in by the 13 cities and 19 towns of the province. For this reason, Negros Occidental dubs it the “mother” of all its festivals.
The theme for this year is “Organik na Negros: Rising to the Challenge of Globalization in 2015″.
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 Park and Stadium paved the way for the establishment of the Panaad Park as the permanent home of the festival.