Madayaw!

The Living Arts Festival is a fitting tribute to the key contributions of the marine environment as we celebrate the Year of the Ocean this year.

The Festival is designed to promote the need to help protect the fragile environment.  It is also aimed at highlighting the dynamic synergy of the environment and coastal communities.  As an inter-disciplinary, inter-cultural, multi-media and multi-lingual showcase it illustrates the dynamic convergence of everyone involved.

The Department of Tourism has been consistently at the forefront in promoting responsible tourism, together with other government entities and stakeholders.  Ecotourism imbibes both the desire to position Davao region as an anchor tourism destination and the need to protect the environment. 

Our key advocacy should not be relegated only to discussions at academic halls or boardrooms.  What is far more important is that we are able to convert those ideas into something tangible---something you can see, touch and hear.  I enjoin everyone to celebrate the Ocean Month by making marine conservation an indispensable lifestyle choice.

Salamat at Kapayapaan.

SONIA V. GARCIA
Regional Director
Department of Tourism-XI