The Bacolod Masskara are a Filipino professional basketball team based in Bacolod. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's South Division. The team most recently played its home games at La Salle Coliseum.
The team was founded as the Bacolod Master Sardines when it began play in the 2019–20 season and has since undergone multiple monikers. They also took part in FilBasket during the 2022 Summer Championship.
The Bacolod franchise is one of four teams based in Visayas, the other being the Cebu Greats and Iloilo United Royals, and were one of the two MPBL teams representing the Negros Island Region along with the Negros Hacienderos.
History
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League The Bacolod Master Sardines joined the MPBL as an expansion team for the 2019–20 season, becoming one of the first two teams from Western Visayas alongside fellow expansion side Iloilo United Royals. In its inaugural season, Bacolod finished 11–19, 11th in the South Division.
In the 2021 MPBL Invitational, the team entered as the All-Star Bacolod Ballers and was drawn into Group A alongside future expansion team Negros Muscovados. In the group stage, the All-Star Ballers finished 3–2, finishing third in the group, failing to make the playoffs.
In the 2022 season, reigning Finals MVP Mark Yee joined Bacolod. Yee helped bring the team to its first playoff appearance, finished 5th in the South Division with a 14–7 record. Yee went on to win Defensive Player of the Year honors. The team beat fourth-seeded GenSan in the First Round, and forced a Game 3 against first-seeded Zamboanga in the Division Semifinals but ended up losing that game. Before the 2023 season, some of its players, including Yee and Jhan Nermal left the team to join the Bacoor City Strikers. Bacolod dropped to 9th, one game behind 8th-seeded Iloilo to once again miss the playoffs with an 11–17 record.
In 2024, nine-time PBA champion Alex Cabagnot joined as head coach of the team, but ended up not playing for the team and left for the Converge FiberXers mid-season.
On January 3, 2025, amid reports of tryouts happening for a new Bacolod team for the upcoming 2025 season, the league clarified that it does not recognize such team for next season. The Bacolod franchise would continue competing for the 2025 season.
For the 2026 season, the team changed their name to Bacolod Masskara. On July 30, the MPBL suspended the team's franchise for the rest of the season following allegations of game manipulation during a July 28 game against the Bulacan Kuyas. It also issued a permanent ban on Bacolod Masskara players and coaches involved in the incident.
FilBasket The team was invited to FilBasket for its 2022 Summer Championship before beginning its 2022 MPBL campaign. Bacolod finished third in the elimination round with seven wins and made the semifinals before losing to the Nueva Ecija Capitals in two games.
Team identity The team's current identity derives from Bacolod's moniker as the "City of Smiles" in the country. The alternate name, Maskaras, alludes to the MassKara Festival which is held in Bacolod city.
Roster
Head coaches Bacolod Masskara head coaches Name Start End Achievements Ref. 1 2019–20 2019–20 — 2 2021 2022 — 3 2023 2023 — 4 2023 2023 — 5 2024 2024 — 6 2024 2024 — 7 2025 2025 — 8 2026 current —
Notable players Individual award winners
MPBL Defensive Player of the Year Mark Yee – 2022
MPBL All-Star Day
All-Star selections Paolo Javelona – 2020 Mark Yee – 2022 Louie Vigil – 2024
PBA players
Ex-PBA players Harold Arboleda RR Garcia Mac Tallo Mark Yee Louie Vigil
Drafted to PBA Simon Camacho – 34th overall, 2019
Season-by-season records
MPBL Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2026 MPBL season.
MPBL champions Division champions Playoff berth
Season League Division Regular season Playoffs Finish Played Wins Losses Win % GB Round Results Bacolod Master Sardines 2019–20 MPBL South 11th 30 11 19 15 Did not qualify Bacolod Bingo Plus 2022 MPBL South 5th 21 14 7 4 Division quarterfinals Division semifinals won vs. General Santos, 2–1 lost vs. Zamboanga, 1–2 Bacolod City of Smiles 2023 MPBL South 9th 28 11 17 12 Did not qualify 2024 MPBL South 15th 28 1 27 20 Did not qualify Bacolod Tubo Slashers 2025 MPBL South 14th 29 4 25 21 Did not qualify Bacolod Masskara 2026 MPBL South Banned Did not qualify Regular season record 41 95 1 playoff appearance Playoff record 3 3 0 finals appearances Cumulative record 44 98 0 championships
References