UNDERTAKING
BUDAYAW: 1st BIMP-EAGA
Festival of Cultures 2017
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) had taken 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 had showcased the diversity
of creative expressions of the region. The five-day fest had
gathered around 300 contemporary artists and indigenous cultural
masters. The name “Budayaw” is derived from the Malay
word “budaya” meaning culture and the Filipino word “dayaw”
meaning celebration.
The Budayaw Festival was by far successful through partnerships
with the DOT, NCCA, ARMM, MinDA, LGU Sarangani,
LGU General Santos City and Mindanao State University-General
Santos City.
So far, this was the most challenging engagement by the Kalimudan
Team. Alma Aguja was the Head of Secretariat with
fellow Kalimudan, Cherry Salubre and Mark Aldirete as staff.
Kuya Romy Narvaez and Al-Nezzar Ali were tasked to be the
other artistic directors of the festival alongside with the festival
director, Mr. Nestor Horfilla. Kuya Romy also had handled the
Opening and Closing Ceremonies including the theater performances,
while Al directed, designed and conceptualized the
visual arts component of Budayaw, the Under One Sky: Visual
Arts Exhibition together with Prof. Abraham Garcia of Ateneo
de Davao as curator.
Other members of Kalimudan were also part of the festival like
Evelou Villodres as Stage Manager of all performances; Ismael
Pantao as the Audience Mobilization Director; Rochel Podico-
Baliong, artistic director of one of the excerpt-stories of Maharadia
Lawana mounted by MSU Kabpapagariya. Ruth Cartojano,
the Finance Officer of Kalimudan was also helping in the
Secretariat with Alma including the other few who were part of
the creative circles of Kalimudan as assistants and managers.
This international undertaking had opened new perspective
in hosting and event organizing and there were a lot that were
learned, according to Al. The Budayaw experienced somehow
changed a lot of views and broke some myopic outlook on enterprises
like this one.
Despite the hardships, tears, pains, pressure, tension and sleepless
nights, the team became more closer to each other and one
found solace from one another-eventually tested not only their
mettle of courage and capability but also of frienship, camaraderie
and unity as Kalimudan Team.
