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THE LABUAN Bajo Flores Tourism Authority (BPOLBF) and the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) government are preparing several local products that will be showcased during the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo in May 2023.
“We have discussed it (the use of local products during the summit) and we are pushing it to become a highlight for NTT’s local products,” BPOLBF President Director Shana Fatina said here on Saturday (04/01), 2023.
She informed that the 42nd ASEAN Summit meetings would be held twice in the year: in May 2023 in Labuan Bajo and in September in Jakarta.
BPOLBF and the provincial government have discussed the presentation of dances and culinary products for the delegates. In addition, the souvenirs that will be given to the summit participants will also showcase the unique culture of the province.
Several traditional dances, namely Tiba Meka, Rangkuk Alu, and Caci, are likely to be performed for the delegates, Fatina said. Those dances may be performed while welcoming the delegates at the airport or on the sidelines of the summit.
Meanwhile, local culinary products that could be served to the participants include round bread with sesame seeds called kompiang, fish with sour broth, as well as local snacks such as rebok and songkol.
The region also has several other products that can be presented as souvenirs to the delegates, such as woven cloth, the province’s traditional musical instrument sasando, and coffee.
The NTT government will prepare 12 packages of souvenirs, which will include culinary products that have obtained a halal permit and the National Food and Drug Supervisory Agency’s (BPOM’s) certification.
The regional government will also prepare 12 pairs of woven cloth to be given to 11 heads of ASEAN countries and the secretary general of ASEAN, as well as their spouses.
The provincial government is collaborating with the NTT Regional National Crafts Council (Dekranasda) for preparing the souvenirs.
“We want to show the (good) results of the collaboration of all parties in preparing Labuan Bajo to become a MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) destination for state leaders.
Indonesia is holding the chairmanship of ASEAN from January 1 to December 31, 2023,” Fatina concluded. [antaranews/photo special]
