2nd ‘One Visayas’ organizers to invite President Arroyo
ROXAS CITY – The organizers for this year’s “One Visayas” celebration from March 11 to 14 here will invite President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo to grace the opening ceremonies of the tourism event.
The upcoming festival will be participated in by various local government units, regional agencies, state universities and colleges and private sector groups of Regions 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas) and 8 (Eastern Visayas).
It will showcase the Visayas arts namely, architecture, dance, theater, music, visual arts, literature and film, arts and craft, tourism products, festivals and culinary arts.
Provincial Tourism Officer Alphonsus Tesoro said that also included in the initial list of dignitaries to be invited are Sen. Manuel Mar Roxas and Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Durano.
The 4–day celebration with the theme “Heroes and Nationalism” will be hosted by the Capiz provincial government in close coordination with the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Western Visayas.
The Council has created a special committee under its Economic Development Committee to assist the province in the preparation for the scheduled activity.
The region’s highest policy-making body has also tackled the celebration’s initial preparations during its Dec. 4 last quarter meeting here.
The officials of the three Visayas regions have decided to establish the One Visayas in 2008 after agreeing that it is time for Visayans to acknowledge the cultural bond that connects the islands, despite being separated by seawaters.
The first One Visayas was held in Cebu last year. (PIA/A.Lumaque)
