Rabaul Play School celebrates 41 Independence

by ELIZABETH VUVU

STUDENTS of the Rabaul Play School in East New Britain celebrated the Independence Day anniversary with a cultural show yesterday.

Headmistress Relly Manning said it was important that students promoted and appreciated the culture and tradition of their provinces.

They represented and were attired in their seven traditional groups: East New Britain, Manus, Momase, Autonomous Region of Bougainville, New Ireland, Central and Eastern Highlands.

Manning said the annual programme was to educate students to value their culture.
The students exchanged baskets with their selected partners followed by a march.
Teachers and staff had been hard at work for the past weeks with students rehearsing for the big day yesterday, watched by parents and relatives.

The school is situated at Kenabot in Kokopo town. It has more than 250 students.

Source: The National

Goroka to stage the seventh PNG Bilum Festival with guests from the around the global attending

GOROKA town is gearing up to stage the seventh Goroka Bilum (string bag) Festival this week apart from the 60th annual show and 41st Independence anniversary.

Festival founder and host Florence Jaukae on Monday confirmed that preparations were nearly complete with international guests and the major sponsor already in Goroka.

“Our major sponsor is Pacific Island Trade and Investment based in Sydney, Australia, its representative and creative manageress Ruth Choulai has arrived in Goroka, now,” Jaukae said.
She said other guests were from Australian museums and art galleries in Sydney. Many Australian citizens are also coming to the festival to be held today and tomorrow at the Bird of Paradise Hotel.

Jaukae said the festival was staged to celebrate ancient skills and designs of bilums and also about preserving, protecting the skills and designs.
She said it is also to show case the artistic formations of bilum designs and styles used by the modern generations.
Jauka said some of the main products to be displayed were bilum caps, hats, wall hangings, dresses, mobile phone carriers, however, the bilum as a bag remained the most creative expression of the weaver.

“Bilum weaving is a skill shared by women, a skill or knowledge that is passed from one generation to another. Bilums can be seen on the streets of Sydney, New York, London, Suva, Apia or anywhere in the world, an indication of how far this unique product travels
“The bilum marketing and exhibition will include selling of bilums and promoting not only in PNG but at international markets,” she said.

Sensational Singer Ronan Keating's girl-friend carrying a PNG Sepik bilum during a shopping mire in Sydney. Photos by Daily Mail UK

Sensational Singer Ronan Keating's girl-friend carrying a PNG Sepik bilum during a shopping mire in Sydney. Photos by Daily Mail UK

Sensational Singer Ronan Keating's girl-friend carrying a PNG Sepik bilum during a shopping mire in Sydney. Photos by Daily Mail UK

Source: The National

East New Britain Province gets support from Tourism Minister Tobias Kulang

East New Britain (ENB) might be known as one of Papua New Guinea’s tourism hubs, but for a long time coming has been looking at improving the tourism sector.

Recently appointed Tourism Minister, Tobias Kulang, said East New Britain is the first province he visited because he wanted to give meaning and commitment to the national government’s tourism hub initiative in the province.

He added that now is the time for real change to happen in this sector, but there must be synergy and connectivity between government agencies under his ministry, the provincial government, the Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) and other tourism operators in the province.

The East New Britain Tourism Authority (ENBTA) is working on putting together a tourism master plan in order to promote and boost the industry, however funding remains a drawback.

Speaking to EMTV early this year, ENBTA Chief Executive Officer, Gard Renson, said “In the long run we need some good funding [...] because there is nothing in place at the moment.”

Minister Kulang’s visit to ENB was an opportune moment, as he pressed the need for the tourism master plan to be completed immediately with cooperation from TPA, so that funds can be sourced from the World Bank – US$20 million to support the ENB tourism hub development.

“The World Bank is willing to give us funding but we must show that we are serious about developing tourism in the province by coming up with a tourism master plan for ENB,” Kulang announced.

In his four-day visit, he met with tourism industry members, the Provincial Administrator, Provincial Chairman for Tourism, ENB Tourism Authority and the East New Britain Tourism Board.

Kulang made it known that his ministry will build a new interactive cultural heritage centre to showcase iconic traditions and cultures of ENB, and said that with technical assistance from TPA they will create a website for ENB Tourism.

In addition, a proper structure will be built as the provincial museum to house war relics and other historical and valuable figures.

A regional director appointed by the Tourism Promotion Authority will be based in Kokopo to liaise and work in partnership with the provincial administration and industry members, to promote tourism there.

“We all need to speak the same language. If we are not speaking the same language, how are we going to develop tourism,” Minister Kulang said.

Tourism Minister Tobias Kulang. Image: The Pulse of PNG / Facebook Group/2016. 

Source: Kiwiana Ngabung/EMTV Online/April 2016.