By Perla G. Lena
TACLOBAN CITY, (PNA) — Organizers of the biggest gathering of indigenous cultures dubbed as Dayaw 2013 here in Leyte province assured that concerns of delegates will be properly addressed with utmost sensitivity.
The annual gathering spearheaded by the sub-commission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA) of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in partnership with the Leyte-Samar Heritage Society, Inc and the provincial government of Leyte for the festival slated Nov 27-29.
Commissioner Joycie Dorado-Alegre said that those who will be involved in the festival will undergo seminar on cultural orientation to focus on cultural sensitivity.
The Leyte-Samar Heritage Society also decided to invite halal cooks from Mindanao to join the staff of Leyte Park Hotel to cook foods for the Muslim delegation. She said that preparing halal foods does not only mean lack of pork but because of their sacred rituals as well.
There is one contingent that wants to have soup in their foods while everyone prefers to have an overflowing coffee.
Alegre assured that these concerns will be attended to.
“All hotels are very much oriented now on cultural sensitivity,” she said. These include the Leyte Park and Hotel Alejandro for delegations from various regions in the country and Oriental Hotel for international guests.
Dayaw 2013 is in celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples’ Month observed every October. However, due to the major events such as the staging of elections, the festival was moved to November.
The festival will serve as venue to discuss the richness and significance and even issues of Indigenous cultures.
This celebration is made more significant with the participation of 64 representatives from 32 countries, the first time since Dayaw was staged years ago.
Some 400 indigenous peoples from 40 indigenous groups across the country will also be joining the event.