The regions of Mindanao and Palawan were seen to play vital roles in the Southeast Asian region’s sustainable development during an event of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The agreement came about during the 2nd Budayaw Festival, a biennial event of the BIMP-EAGA,  in the City of Kuching in the Federal State of Sarawak in Malaysia wherein among the attendees were Filipino delegates.

Budayaw Festival, or the Festival of Cultures, “showcases cultural diversity and heritage and promotes regional cooperation in the areas of trade and commerce.”

Among the events during the five-day festivity included cultural performances, choral concerts, visual arts exhibit and culinary presentations, as well as trade and travel fairs, fashion shows and cultural outreach programs.

Plans to collaborate public and private stakeholders within the BIMP-EAGA with the Philippine delegation specifically tasked to promote and market tourism in the Mindanao and Palawan regions were also tackled.

The Philippine delegation was headed by the Department of Tourism (DOT) Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar and Adel Suemith of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

They were also joined by DOT Regional Directors Marie Elaine Salvaña-Unchuan of Region 10 and Tanya Rabat-Tan of Region 11 and representatives from the City Tourism Office of General Santos City which hosted the 1st Budayaw Festival held back in 2017.

“Budayaw Festival which is a catalyst in weaving the aspirations, creative expressions and appreciation of our richly-diverse Asian culture which should shape our regional development and prosperity,” Abubakar said.

“We are ecstatic to have showcased Mindanao and Palawan as playing vital roles along this line,” she added.