Mindanaoan culture and arts will be featured in the 2nd Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP EAGA) Budayaw Festival of Cultures and the Arts from November 19 to 23, 2019 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, an official said.

“Mindanao is all set to celebrate and share our cultural and artistic treasures in the 2nd Budayaw next week,” National Commission of Culture and the Arts (NCCA) focal person Adelina Suemith said in a statement.

Suemith said Mindanao is sending a delegation of 73 cultural masters, artists, workers, and tourism enthusiasts from different regions lead by NCCA.

They will be participating in 12 components of the festival: weaving, traditional music, performing arts, choral singing, photography exhibit, visual arts, education forum, culinary arts, tourism expo, fashion show, crafts exhibit, and community outreach.

Meanwhile, delegation head of Secretariat Alma Dumalag of Mindanao State University–Kabpapagariya Ensemble and Kalimudan Culture and Arts Center said: “We are happy that through the Budayaw, we will be able to bring the colorful culture of all Mindanaoans in Malaysia.”

“We hosted the first Budayaw Festital last September 2017 in General Santos City, which was attended by more than 500 artists from the BIMP-EAGA,” Dumalag added.

Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), as the Philippine Coordinating Office for BIMP-EAGA, has expressed support for the participation of the delegate from the island.

MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said as the Coordinating Office for BIMP-EAGA, they helped the members of the delegation in securing Foreign Travel Authority (FTA) for the participating Davao and Iligan teachers and the regular coordination with the BIMP-EAGA National Secretariat of Malaysia.

Piñol said it was “important to sustain socio-cultural activities like this in the sub-region because this is one way of making us realize that we are just one family with shared culture, traditions, and practices.”

Department of Tourism (DOT) Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Myra Paz Abubakar said: “We are privileged that we are given an avenue to promote and market our tourism destinations through this festival.”

The delegation is expected to leave for Malaysia on November 18.

Other participating member-countries are Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesia, with Malaysia serving as the host country.

The 3rd Budayaw Festival will be hosted by Brunei Darussalam in 2022 as a major side event of their hosting the Asean Leaders Summit. (PNA)