TABUK CITY, Kalinga – In today’s 2-day Festival Planning and Management Seminar, Tourism Consultant Nilo Agustin emphasized the significance of integrating cultural correctness and historical accuracy for the upcoming Matagoan festival, aiming to characterize and distinguish its uniqueness from other similar Cordillera festivals.
“The festival should be culturally correct and historically accurate to inculcate a sense of pride in every Tabukeño, with all activities geared towards achieving the festival’s objectives,” he stated.
According to Agustin, the modernizing landscape of festival planning makes the blending of styles and ideas from different cultures prevalent, resulting in a difficulty for event planners to establish a specific festival brand identity.
He said that since the Matagoan Festival is no exception to being susceptible to cultural fusion when it comes to presentations and activities, there is a need to integrate Tabuk’s specific cultural nuances into the highlights of the festival. These include the framework, themes, activities, competitions, costumes, props, and other production elements.
He underscored that a festival lacking a specific concept and framework is likely to fail in establishing a reputation and shaping the atmosphere to leave a lasting impression on spectators and attendees.
Furthermore, Agustin also conducted lectures and workshops in the seminar, discussing the significance of cultural roots in Philippine festivals and their conceptual development frameworks.
He will also discuss topics such as conceptualizing and designing festival themes, developing a sustainable Matagoan concept, festival management principles, crafting the Matagoan Festival Plan, and establishing organizational structures on the second day.
Meanwhile, City Tourism Officer Arlene Ethel Odiem expressed optimism regarding the seminar’s potential to improve the planning and conceptualization of this year’s Matagoan festival, as well as sustain the preservation of the festival’s unique cultural representation.
The 2-day workshop-seminar is part of the preparation of this year’s Matagoan festival, which was attended by city government staff and Matagoan Festival Committee members. By Ruth Cupang
