ABUYOG,
Leyte, Jan. 27 (PNA) -- This town’s Buyogan Festival has been invited by the
International Association for Human Values (IAHA) of Malaysia to participate in
the World Culture Festival on March 11-13, 2016 in New Delhi, India.
Mayor
Octavio Traya Jr. is enthusiastic with this invitation to perform in an
international event. The festival is fresh from its win as best in street
dancing -- free interpretation category during the 2016 Sinulog Festival in
Cebu City. It also won 3rd place both as best musicality and free
interpretation categories.
The
invitation was personally hand-carried by Siaw San Liew to the mayor on Monday.
Liew is the project leader of Philippines Empowerment Program of IAHA.
The World
Culture Festival is part of the Art of Living Foundation’s 35th year, which is
spearheading the event. The foundation has 35 years of service to humanity,
spirituality and human values.
It is stated
in the letter that Leyte province, being one of the critically impacted regions
in the country by the climate change, is a voice that needs to be embodied in
this massive event.
“It is a
great opportunity to send the best of Leyte to the World Culture Festival to
perform in behalf of the Filipinos to say thank you to the world for the help
received after super typhoon Yolanda devastated the region,” Traya said.
He and the
rest of the local government are enthusiastic about this invitation because
this would be the first time the Philippines would send a representative to
this global event.
The
challenge now, according to Traya is to raise PHP3.8 million for the local
travel expenses, international flights and hotel accommodation for a hundred
performers.
Buyogan
boasts of its new colorful costumes patterned to the different shapes and
colors of a bee and mimicking its bee life to the beat of distinct Buyogan
music.
Legend has
it that Abuyog town has a mystical creature popularly known as Opayda. She is a
good fairy who helped cure victims of bee stings and guides fishermen safely
back to shore through her magical voice.
Buyogan was
the champion in the first Leyte Kasadyaan Festival in October 1996. It was
adjudged Hall of Famer after it became a champion five times since that year.
As Hall of
Famer, it was not allowed to compete until it made a comeback in 2007 and won
again in the twin-billed Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival held in Tacloban City to
celebrate the city fiesta.
In 2009, the
well-loved Buyogan Festival created history when it swept in both Cebu City’s
Sinulog Festival -- Champion Free Interpretation Category and Best in Street
Dancing.
The group
won the Aliwan Festival on April that year, a competition of the 17 best
regional festivals in the country at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila organized
by the Manila Broadcasting Company and brought home PHP1 million cash prize.
After the
super typhoon on Nov. 8, 2013, it didn’t compete in any festivals for financial
consideration as the costumes and props were destroyed by the disaster. It was
a guest performer in the Pintados in 2014.
It did a
smashing comeback in the 2015, winning both the Sinulog and the
Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals.
According to
Liew, the World Culture Festival will be attended by close to 3.5 million
people from diplomatic community, humanitarian organizations, cultural and art
aficionados. It would be a chance for the Buyogan to showcase the best of Leyte
and an opportunity to show Filipino culture in a world stage. (PNA)
JBP/SQM/VICKY C. ARNAIZ
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