"HUGPONG Dayaw," a series of online competition organized by the Negros Cultural Foundation Incorporated (NCFI) in partnership with the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and the Negros Museum, was recently launched to crowd source social media content.
It is aimed at promoting the many facets of the Negrense heritage, said Roger Joshua Venzal, Hugpong Dayaw project manager, adding that there are three skills-based competitions open for the Negrense public to explore.
These include "Kanta Cover" (Song Cover Competition), "Hangkat Bayle" (Dance Cover Challenge), and "Pitik Sulat" (Photo-Essay Competition).
During the 2021 Year End Tourism Assessment of the Negros Occidental Tourism Division held at the Provincial Capitol Building in January this year, organizers from the NCFI stressed that they recognize the growing social media creator community in Negros and they see it as a muscle that can build cultural awareness among online users domestically and even overseas.
"There's so much potential from the youth today (as) we see them show-off artistic talents almost every day via TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook," NFI executive director Tanya Lopez said.
"Why not use them for the good of our community?" she asked.
The creator competitions aim to attract young people from across the Negros Occidental province.
Interested participants as young as 15 years old could join the competition.
Lopez emphasized that "Hugpong Dayaw is not just a series of competitions. It is a platform that incubates young Negrense talents for the development and preservation of our local culture, traditions, and heritage."
A panel of judges will name three winning entries from each competition with the champion receiving P15,000 in cash, while the second and third runners-up winning P5,000 each.
A special award and a prize will also be given to the entry with the most Facebook engagements.
Guidelines and instructions on how to join Hugpong Dayaw are posted on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hugpongdayaw. The online creator competitions will remain open until March 6, 2022. (PR)