By Sarwell Meniano
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office in Eastern Visayas aims to promote the musical heritage of the region through a chorale competition highlighting Visayan songs.
According to Kent Reymark Tocayon, the event’s creative specialist at DOT, the Kanta Binisaya (Visayan singing) is among the three initiatives they have planned for the “Kultura Sinirangan” advocacy this year.
With Kanta Binisaya, the DOT seeks to foster a broader appreciation for the diverse musical heritage of Eastern Visayas while promoting unity and camaraderie among choral enthusiasts within and beyond the region,” Tocayon told the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday.
The DOT set the deadline for the screening for Kanta Binisaya: A Chorale Competition on April 24 while the grand finals are set on June 11.
The competition is open to all schools, communities, churches and other groups from both within and outside the region, the DOT said.
The winning group will receive a cash prize of PHP100,000, while the second and third placers will receive PHP80,000 and PHP60,000, respectively.
The other two events are the Love Eastern Visayas music video competition and the Kanta Binisaya round-table discussion.
Kanta Binisaya, which means Visayan songs, is based on the book of Stephen Legarde, a UP-Tacloban associate professor who pitched the idea of holding the event.
Legarde advocates for the promotion and dissemination of the musical heritage of Eastern Visayas through choral singing.
The competition is in partnership with the Office of the House Speaker, Tingog Partylist, Leyte Normal University, and the Leyte provincial government. (With reports from Daniel A. Panis, OJTs/PNA)
