The celebration of the Buglasan Festival this year highlights the provincial government’s vision to transform Negros Oriental into an eco-tourism hub by 2025.
Festival Co-Director Dr. Nichol Elman said that the province’s tourism industry benefits from several nature-adventure tourist attractions like the Lake Danao and Lake Balinsasayao in Sibulan town.
He noted the need for different stakeholders to work together through the leadership of the provincial government to make the province a premier eco-tourism hub.
The theme for this year’s Buglasan Festival is “Transforming NegOr into an eco-tourism hub by 2025.”
Gov. Roel Degamo said the province is gearing towards that direction especially now that reports from the Provincial Tourism Unit show that the tourist influx growth rate has reached 19 percent based on the comparative data from October 2015 to October 2016.
With this, Degamo and Elman are inviting the public to participate in the Buglasan Festival which will open on October 3 and culminate on October 22.
Elman said there are 110 events in this year’s festival composed of cultural and sports events and open park concerts.
Some of the highlights include the Outstanding Oriental Negrense Awards Night on October 13, 6:00 p.m. at Capitol Forecourt; Opening of Sidlakan Negros Village and LGU Heritage Booths on October 14 at 6:00 p.m.; Miss Negros Oriental on October 15, 8:00 p.m. at Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Center; Buglasan Festival of Festivals Showdown and Street Dance on October 20; Lutong Garbo Competition on October 21 at the Provincial Agriculturist Office at 8:00 a.m.; and the launching of the Lutong Garbo Recipe Book on October 21 at the same venue at 4:00p.m.
The Buglasan Festival of Festivals showdown will start at 8:00 a.m. while the festival street dance will begin at 2:00 p.m.
Degamo said there are 18 local government units (LGU) joining the LGU Heritage Booths event, namely: Amlan, Canlaon City, Guihulngan City, Ayungon, Bindoy, Manjuyod, Bais City, Mabinay, Tanjay City, Pamplona, San Jose, Sibulan, Dumaguete City, Valencia, Zamboanguita, Siaton, Sta. Catalina, and Basay.
On the other hand, there are nine LGUs participating in the Festival of Festivals showdown: Dumaguete City, Pamplona, Bindoy, Bais City, Dauin, Mabinay, Manjuyod, Tanjay, Sta. Catalina.
This year, the budget for the Buglasan Festival is pegged at P7 million.
Dr. Elman said the provincial government has allocated P1.8 million assistance to LGUs joining the LGU Heritage Booth while P900,000 are also given to LGUs competing in the Festival of Festivals Showdown and Street Dance.
The rest of the funds will be spent on prizes and honoraria for judges.
For the security preparations, the provincial government is working with the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOrPPO) for the security plan to be implemented during the festival.
The governor said the Task Force Leon Kilat will also be activated to augment the security forces deployed in the festival. Degamo also disclosed that they have invited President Rodrigo Duterte to grace the opening of the Buglasan Festival on October 13.
He added that the province already sent a letter to Malacanang requesting for October 20 to be declared a holiday so that Negrenses can join the festival grand celebration. (ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental)
