TACLOBAN CITY, March 2 (PNA) -
The award-winning Buyogan Festival of Abuyog, Leyte is stepping up preparations
for the World Cultural Festival (WFC) on March 11-13, 2016 in New Delhi, India.
The Festival
had their dance and dress rehearsals last Sunday for the international event.
This is the
first time that the Philippines will be represented in the WFC, which is going
on for more than ten years.
“This is the
20th year of our town’s festival and we are proud to represent the Philippines
in this global event. This will showcase the best of what we have in the global
arena,” said Abuyog Mayor Octavio Traya, Jr.
The event is
part of the Art of Living Foundation’s 35th year, which is spearheading the
event. Sri Sri Ravi Shanker is the humanitarian head of the Art of Living
Foundation which he established 35 years ago in India.
According to
Siaw San Liew of the International Association for Human Values (IAHA) that
invited Buyogan, the three-day event will bring the whole world together in one
gathering beyond religious and political barriers to achieve peace, harmony and
most importantly love.
The world is
in chaos and we have to go back to our inner selves to find the peace, harmony
and love we should share the world through deep meditation.
San Liew, a
Malaysian, has been flying back and forth to Malaysia and the Philippines after
super typhoon (Yolanda) Haiyan struck the country.
Through the
Art of Living Foundation, they helped the survivors of the strongest typhoon to
ever hit land in Tacloban City and the neighboring towns, recover from trauma
and loss through proper meditation especially the school children.
What she
found best, like the rest of the world, was the resilience of the Filipino
people amidst adversities and disasters that come their way.
San Liew
experienced what the people of Eastern Visayas experienced during typhoon Ruby
(Hagupit) when she was in Tacloban City on Dec. 6, 2014.
Tourism
regional director Karen Tiopes said that the Department of Tourism (DOT8) was
proud that the very own Buyogan Festival would perform before thousands of
audience at the WCF.
“This event
features cultural performers coming from all parts of the globe, and this will
be the first time that the Philippines will be represented by a Leyte festival,”
she added.
This truly
is a milestone for Leyte and Eastern Visayas. Leyte is one of the areas
devastated by super typhoon "Yolanda." With the Buyogan Festival
performing before a global audience, their showcase of their culture is
symbolic in two ways.
First, it
shows the resiliency of our people, bouncing back to normalcy less than three
years after the disaster. Second, it conveys celebration and thanksgiving for
the gift of life and all the blessings the people in Eastern Visayas received
in the midst of challenges.
“To the
Buyogan Festival, wow them all as we showcase one of the best festivals in the
country and show them how it’s more fun in the Philippines,” Tiopes added.
“Our
challenge is to raise Php 8 million for the local travel expenses, international
flights and food and hotel accommodation for a hundred dancers.
We are still
short of PHP2M needed to mount an international show,” Traya said.
The
bee-inspired festival was just adjudged as best in street dancing (free
interpretation category) last January in Sinulog Festival. It also won 3rd
place both as best musicality and in free interpretation categories of the said
Cebu City-based cultural festival.
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.
Instead of
showcasing the troupe’s performance in the Sinulog, the choreographer Frenil
Palang and his team, prepared canned music and choreographed their dance that
showcases the devastation wrought by the calamity that also damaged the
beehives.
Their new
dance routine showcases how the bees recovered including their shelter, the
beehives. “Showing the resiliency of the Filipino spirit,” Octavia said.
“Part of the
show will also include thanking the different countries and international
humanitarian organizations that helped Abuyog and the Eastern Visayas region in
its road to recovery, “ he added.
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 in the free interpretation category and best in
street dancing bringing home PhP2million cash prize.
It 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 P1 million cash prize.
After the
Yolanda tragedy on Nov. 8, 2013, it didn’t compete in any festival due to
financial constraint as the costumes and props were destroyed by the super
typhoon.
It did a
smashing comeback in the 2015, winning both the Sinulog and the
Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals. (PNA)
RMA/SQM/VICKY C. ARNAIZ
RMA/SQM/VICKY C. ARNAIZ
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