(From right) Hasbi, Antonio and Paulus in a photo-call with participants in the decorative ‘kuntul’ event.

LIMBANG: Babulang Festival (Pesta Babulang) ,which is an iconic tourism attraction in Northern Sarawak and now entering its 14th year of organisation, will be continuously enhanced to make it a more attractive tourism product for promotion at a much higher level.

Limbang MP Hasbi Habibollah said efforts had been looked into or discussed by the Bisaya Association of Sarawak (PBS) to promote the festival by incorporating other attractive tourism packages that could generate more income for local residents.

He said besides Batu Danau, Limbang too has niche tourism products for development such as the ‘monyet Belanda’ (proboscis monkey), fireflies, Pesta Babulang, homestay programme (Inap Desa) and ‘Bebuak’ Festival.

“We have requested youths in Limbang to package all the existing attractive tourism products such as Babulang Festival so that it can be included as one tourism package for promotion jointly with the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB),” he said on Saturday at the launch of the Buffalo Race and Decorative ‘Kuntul’ event at Batu Danau.

Also present were Batu Danau assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang and PBS president Antonio Kahti Galis.
Hasbi added Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg had too recently made available grants for the development of a road to Gunung Buda.

“With the availability of complete tourism packages, it will assist STB to organise other tourism programmes besides collaborating with other tourism stakeholders in promoting Limbang as well as Batu Danau, which too has other niche tourism products like the lake and unique villages for the Inap Desa programme.”

He said currently only Kuala Mendalam has implemented the Inap Desa programme and as such, the programme needed to be extended to other areas.

On Pesta Babulang, Hasbi said it could further showcase the unique and beautiful cultures and traditions, way of life, food and clothing of the Bisaya community which has attracted both local and foreign tourists, especially from Europe.
“The current Babulang Festival is merrier and held on a bigger scale with the inclusion of more events and booths selling various goodies and food including by Bisaya Kitchen,” he said.

He hoped that the younger generation of the Bisaya community could continue such festivals as one of their efforts to nurture their culture and traditions

“Pesta Babulang is closely related to the cultures and traditions of the Bisaya Community, which is only held in Limbang.

“We don’t want this festival to become extinct or a museum piece, if the younger generation fails to continue organising the festival,” he added

Various activities were held such as a buffalo race, decorative ‘kuntul’ event and a traditional Bisaya cooking competition