Each year, I made sure to attend the Annual Mudpack Festival held in Mambukal Mountain Resort, Murcia, Negros Occidental.
Mudpack Festival is a gathering of various performing and visual artists in Negros Occidental. As a big fan of art and as a blogger, the Mudpack Festival gave me so many reasons why I wanted to be present at the festival yearly.
Mudpack Festival is a celebration which uses mud or clay as the primary material for the costume. Participants are painted with colorful clay abundant at Mambukal Mountain Resort, the host of this annual festival.
Apart from the tribal dances and other performances during the festival, the body painting is one feature which made this festival unique.
Oh please don’t judge me with the technical definition of ‘pure art”. I said pure art just because the artists at the Mudpack festival does not have any practical purpose, such as selling, etc.. They do it for self-expression and the love of it.
Each year, entries in the body painting competition are getting better and better. A few years back, I can say that most of the theme or approach employed by most artists in their subjects were more on the “abstract” side. But lately, especially this year, I have noticed a lot of realistic body painting using, of course, the colored clay from Mambukal.
Looking at most of the entries in the single body painting/solo dance category, I can say that I was moved by most of these entries. I have to admit, it’s not only the body painting which caused me to feel something about the art, But It was also actually the combination of their movements when they try to convey their message and of course the perfect sounds and music.
While I knew that most artists came with a clear picture of what they wanted to achieve or create, I also noticed that they also allow themselves to be carried away by their emotions. I have witnessed this personally because before the final event; I went around the resort to see how the artists were preparing/ painting the bodies of their models.
The models/ performers most especially were very spontaneous and kind especially when they pose for the photographers.
Entries and performances at the Mudpack festival were done in a way that it intends to remind one of the customs and folk stories. Of course, stories about Kanlaon, Fairies, Babaylan and other local stories are always present in the storyline of many participating groups.
I can’t express in writing the intensity of the “connectivity” at the Mudpack Festival entries. But I tell you, I was affected deeply by most of the pieces. The performers, of course, had played a significant part in this aspect.
The connectivity is related to our mind to accept and appreciate the movement of hands, legs, heads or just the whole body, the entire story, appearance, expression power, etc.
“Accessible” for me means easy to understand and enjoy. The Mudpack Festival made art available to the masses.
At the Mudpack Festival are some installation arts which offers some interactive feature. Of course, the colored clays are available for anyone to enjoy and paint their body or faces.
Harmony with Nature is basically at the core of Mudpack Festival. Mountains, rivers, seas, clouds, etc are. in harmony system. They are related to each other. Each one has its unique system, but also each one depends on the others. The existence among them forms a harmony system.
Mambukal located in Murcia, Negros Occidental can be reached at 30-45 minutes’ drive from Bacolod City. If you would like to take the public utility vehicle, you can proceed to the Libertad Public Market, Bacolod City where public Jeepney trips to Mambukal Mountain Resort start at 7:20 in the morning up to 7:00 in the evening which is the last trip of Jeepney going to Mamabukal Resort. The fare is only Php30.00 per person. If you don’t like to take the public transport, rent a car can also be found in Bacolod City or straight from the airport you can ask the taxi to bring you straight to the resort. Just make sure to agree first on the price.
For visitors from other provinces or out of the country, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City is just 55-minutes from Manila by plane.
Mambukal Mountain Resort being the home of Mudpack festival has various facilities which can cater to its guests. Just make sure to book in advance especially if it is during the festival season.
Mambukal Mountain Resort Contact Information : (034) 433-8516 / (034) 709-0990 (Mondays to Fridays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
Don’t you worry if you can not get a room at Mambukal Mountain Resort. Mambukal is just less than an hour away from Bacolod City. Just take the jeepney back to Bacolod City where various kinds of hotels and Inns are available.
Click here for the List of Hotels in Bacolod City
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This event is amazing especially the body painting. I'm sure this will be exciting when you're a participant (gosh....the paint all over my body!!!!). Hope that it'll be lucky for Negros Tourism.
They really did a great job on the make up and the costumes. It must also be tough being under the body painting.