The Oriental Negros government will host three big events aimed at gaining world spotlight, boost organic agriculture, bamboo production, and promote culture-based tourism and attract investors next month, Gov. George Arnaiz said.

The first event is the 5th National Bamboo Conference to be held Feb. 7-9 at the Bamboo Multi-Purpose Hall, St. Paul's University, Dumaguete City.

Arnaiz said the province is supporting the conference to strengthen its local bamboo industry and entice investors. The province granted P150,000 to the Philippine Bamboo Foundation Inc., the event co-host. It will be joined by government leaders, bamboo entrepreneurs, researchers, scientists, students and faculty from various academic communities in the country and investors from all over the country.

Also set next month is the Second Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival, Feb. 8-10, in Dumaguete that hopes to make Negros Island a sustainable producer of organically grown foodstuff. We will promote healthy lifestyles among all Negrenses, Arnaiz said.

The province allocated a budget of P700,000 for the festival, to be held under the Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. The seed money of P15 million was taken from the provincial governments of Oriental and Negros Occidental and the Department of Agriculture.

The theme is "Save Earth, Negros, Go Organic," Arnaiz said. The festival also aims to encourage Negrenses to a "bio-dynamic approach in farming" and put the island on the map as one of the organic food producers in Asia and the world, he added.

The province is also preparing for the "Cuerdas sa Panaghiusa" or Strings of Unity, at the Second International Rondalla Festival scheduled on Feb. 19-25, at the Convention Center.

This is aimed at promoting international friendship and contribute to world peace through music about 450 delegates from Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Iran, Israel, Spain, Russia, Mexico and the Philippines will attend the event. It has a budget of P2 million.

The launching of the Cuerdas sa Panaghiusa-Second International Rondalla Festival coincides with the National Arts Month in February.

It is the biggest project of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, in coordination with the Oriental Negros government, the Musicological Society of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines College of Music.*MA

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