The 1st Budayaw: 2017 BIMP-EAGA Festival on Culture and Arts will happen from September 20-24, 2017 in General Santos City.
The 1st Budayaw: 2017 BIMP-EAGA Festival on Culture and Arts, a multidimensional and multidisciplinary festival of arts and culture of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East-ASEAN Growth Area (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines) will take place in General Santos City and Sarangani Province on September 20 – 24, 2017.
With the theme “Taking Pride in the Creative Diversity of the BIMP-EAGA Region,” the festival will showcase the diversity of creative expressions of the region. The five-day fest shall gather around 300 contemporary artists and indigenous cultural masters. The creative works of cultural masters, artists and cultural practitioners coming from the four countries will be simultaneously showcased in various venues in Mindanao, Philippines, particularly in General Santos City and in the Province of Sarangani.
The Budayaw Festival will be held every two years rotating in the four member countries. The Philippines was suggested to launch the Festival in 2017 in time with the 50th Anniversary of the ASEAN which the country is also hosting.
BIMP-EAGA was established in 1994 to address the social and economic development of the less developed and remote territories on the eastern side of BIMP. The focus areas include the following: the entire sultanate of Brunei Darussalam; the provinces of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku and West Papua of Indonesia; the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan in Malaysia; and Mindanao and the province of Palawan in the Philippines.
To streamline the strategic focus of the BIMP-EAGA, four pillars were agreed upon by the leaders of the four countries: Enhancing connectivity, Establishing BIMP-EAGA as a food basket for ASEAN, Promoting BIMP-EAGA as a regional tourism destination, and Ensuring sustainable management of the Environment.
In 2012, during the 10th BIMP-EAGA Summit, the leaders expressed that social and cultural activities can contribute in laying the foundation for greater understanding among the diverse communities within the sub-region. Thus, in 2014, the Socio-cultural and Education Pillar (SCE) was formally added as the fifth Pillar of the BIMP-EAGA Cooperation appointing the Philippines as Chairman of the Socio-cultural Development Working Group and Malaysia as the Chair for Education from 2015-2016. Being the de facto Department of Culture, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts represents the Philippines in the working group.
For the years 2015-2025, the Philippines has committed to implement three projects: An Inventory of Artists and Cultural Organization in the region, an Exhibit of Textiles from BIMP-EAGA and the 2017 Budayaw Festival.
Festival Highlights
- “Bulos Kana! Selmat Datengln Photo Exhibit and interactive lectures on the landscapes and peoples of the EAGA region.
- Intertwining Dreams for Harmony and Peace: Master IKAT Weavers Pavilion Showcase
- Narratives of Earth Music: Tell-tales of the EAGA Indigenous Virtuosos in traditional music.
- Jewels of the EAGA: Performance showcase of Contemporary Artists.
- Young Voices Rising for Peace: Invitational Choral Concert Performance.
- Under One Sky: EAGA Collaborative Installation Art and EAGA Visual Arts Exhibition.
- Film and Digital Arts Festival
- Special Events: Collaborative Performances, Community Outreach and Hosted Community Tours and Creative Interactions.
Like the Budayaw Festival page on Facebook for updates on the event.
