In what is expected to be another year of festivities and display, the 2018 Hiri Moale Festival was officially launched along with its newly designed Hiri Moale logo at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby.
The festival reflects to the time of the ancestors, particularly the return of the seafarers after the long voyage to the Gulf of Papua for the Hiri Trade. It is dubbed to be the premier cultural show of the Capital City.
Chairman of the Hiri Moale Festival, Opao Udia, said the festival has grown since its start and this year has seen Steamships Company chip in with K80,000.
This is for the construction of two of the festival Lagatoi that will set sail on the festival days.
He said the festival will be extra significant this year when it coincides with the all-important APEC meet that will be held in Port Moresby in November.
“It will be a golden opportunity to showcase our people to the rest of the world.”
Udia said the Motu-Koita Assembly will make it their business to ensure that a high level of organisation is in place for the benefit of its people, sponsors and visitors.
Following the launch of the festival yesterday, the next couple of months until before September will see the construction of two of the festival lagatoi and a call out for young contestants from the Motu Koita villages to contest in the Hiri Hanenamo competition.
While a venue for the festival is yet to be confirmed, the festival date is set for Friday 14th and Saturday 15th of September, 2018.
Meanwhile, NCDC has also stepped in with K500,000.