ITATAMPOK ang kultura at sining Mindanaoan culture sa 2nd Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP EAGA) Budayaw Festival of Cultures and the Arts mula Nobyembre 19 hanggang 23 sa Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

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

Ayon kay Suemith, magpapadala ang Mindanao ng delegasyon na binubuo ng 73 cultural masters, artists, workers, at mga tourism enthusiast mula sa iba’t ibang rehiyon sa pangunguna ng NCCA.

Lalahok ang mga delegado sa 12 bahagi ng festival: ang weaving, traditional music, performing arts, choral singing, photography exhibit, visual arts, education forum, culinary arts, tourism expo, fashion show, crafts exhibit, at community outreach.

Samantala, sinabi naman ng pinuno ng delegasyon, Secretariat Alma Dumalag ng Mindanao State University–Kabpapagariya Ensemble and Kalimudan Culture and Arts Center: “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,” dagdag pa ni Dumalag.

Nagpahayag naman ng suporta ang Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), bilang Philippine Coordinating Office para sa BIMP-EAGA, sa mga delegado mula sa isla.

Ayon kay MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, Coordinating Office for BIMP-EAGA, tinulungan nila ang mga miyembro ng delegasyn sa pagsisiguro ng Foreign Travel Authority (FTA) para sa mga kalahok sa mga guro sa Davao at Iligan gayundin ang regular na koordinasyon sa BIMP-EAGA National Secretariat of Malaysia.

Sinabi ni Piñol na “[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.”

Samantala, nagbigay rin ng pahayag si Department of Tourism (DOT) Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Myra Paz Abubakar na sinabing: “We are privileged that we are given an avenue to promote and market our tourism destinations through this festival.”

Bukod sa bansa, makikilahok din sa naturang festival ang mga miyembrong bansa tulad ng Brunei Darussalam, at Indonesia, kasama ang Malaysia bilang host country.