Caption: Governor Parkop (L) being given a
baskets with carved stoned ornaments inside as a gift a appreciation from a New
Caledonia delegate.
By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, July 6, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
NCD
Governor Powes Parkop made a true Melanesian gesture of welcome last week when
he presented garden produce and pigs to delegates of the 5th Melanesian
Festival of Arts and Culture last week.
The gift
was Parkop’s personal token of welcome for participants as the governor of the
city, seven piles of gifts were presented to the seven groups.
Solomon
Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Indonesia’s West Papua region, along
with food piles for Timor Leste and the Torres Straight groups were presented
on Wednesday.
Food stuff were
flown in from other parts of the country to give a true representation of
traditional PNG food from taros from Lae, yams, sago, bananas, and other
vegetables from the highlands and pigs.
National
Cultural Commission Acting Executive Director Dr Jacob Simet thanked the
governor for the gesture towards the visitors.
“The
governor has come here to welcome our guests, maintaining systems of cultural
protocols of welcoming,” Dr Simet said.
Governor
Parkop said that the small gesture was from his family and on behalf of the
city adding that as the governor of the city.
“It is
important for us to greet and welcome our guest in true PNG style, because they
have travelled far and wide,” Governor Parkop said.
“You have
already given gifts to the governor general during the opening ceremony and we
are here to show our hospitality in true PNG style.”
He hoped
that their stay in the nation’s capital would change the negative perception
that the city has held to the outside world.
Delegates
received their welcome gifts with appreciated and some like the New Caledonians
who were emotional at the gesture presented gifts in exchange to the governor.
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