ExxonMobil PNG Limited, operator of PNG LNG, has reaffirmed its ongoing support to the annual Kutubu Kundu and Digaso Festival with sponsorship of K50,000.
The festival, which runs from 23 to 24 September, aims to celebrate, showcase and educate the local communities on the importance of preserving their traditional cultures. The festival will take place in Kutubu, Southern Highlands Province and will bring together people from the Kutubu, Bosavi, Samberigi, Kikori areas and Hela Province.
This funding from ExxonMobil PNG will help with transport and logistics of sing-sing groups from the Kikori area including schools from Kutubu.
ExxonMobil PNG’s Executive Director of Production Dinesh Sivasamboo said the Kutubu Kundu and Digaso Festival is an important event to help promote the uniqueness of the Kutubu’s rich socio-cultural practices and traditions of dress, song, dance, and food.
“Respect for Papua New Guinea’s cultural heritage and the history of communities where we operate underpins all of our activities in PNG,” said Mr Sivasamboo.
“Festivals like this are a great time for children and young people to learn about the rich and diverse culture and traditions, to hear their ancestor’s stories and learn about the history of their land,” Mr Sivasamboo added.
Chairman of the Organising Committee James Irimaru thanked ExxonMobil PNG for its commitment to keeping PNG culture and traditions alive. He added that the sponsorship will help make the sixth Kutubu Kundu and Digaso Festival a successful one.
The festival will showcase the unique Digaso oil extraction method, the shorthanded Kundu and tapa cloth making, the salt that signifies the ancestral trade route between the highlands and the coast, and traditional music and dance. The traditional courtship and hausman talk will be displayed in the long-houses during the evening.
This year’s theme is Tingim Gut Bihain Bilong Yumi.