PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc., in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), celebrated the rich heritage of the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia during the 1st BIMP-EAGA Festival of Cultures, dubbed “Budayaw.”
Powered by free Smart Wifi in the venues, the official Budayaw Youtube channel hosted live streams of the art exhibits, handicraft demonstrations and performances showcasing the rich cultures of the four countries that are part of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
From the Bahasa word for culture (“budaya”) and Filipino word for celebration (“dayaw”), the “Budayaw” was recently held in General Santos City to celebrate diverse culture, arts, traditions, and artistry.
Nestor Horfilla, artistic director for the Budayaw, said that the festival was conceptualized to advance culture and development in the BIMP-EAGA sub-regional grouping. It also aimed to raise public awareness and appreciation, as well as encourage cultural exchange.
To support the event, Smart provided data connectivity of up to 1 gigabit per second in the venues located in the three different malls within General Santos City.
“We hope that through the power of digital media, people would see our colorful culture and arts. Maybe it could encourage more tourists to visit and learn our diverse heritage,” said Tourism Regional Director Nelly Dillera.
For the first time, the world was able to see the performances and exhibits of the more than 300 artists, cultural masters and educators from the four countries. Festival-goers, tourists and guests were also able to share their Budayaw experiences, photos and videos on-the-go using Smart Wifi.
To lead the country’s digital transformation into a Smart nation, PLDT and Smart are fast-tracking the installation of Smart Wifi in high-traffic areas.
Free Smart Wifi has also been made available to the public for free during major local festivals such as the Kadayawan in Davao City, Higalaay in Cagayan de Oro, Tuna Festival in General Santos, and SarBay Fest in Sarangani Province. This is part of the larger, more aggressive and fast-paced network expansion being undertaken by PLDT-Smart.
General Santos is PLDT’s 1st “Fibr City” in Mindanao. The fiber-to-the-home infrastructure in the city can provide high speed internet connection in the area, as well as support the data requirements of the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City.
