The Komo Festival is now recognised as a national event.
A certificate was presented by the National Cultural Commission signifying the purpose of promoting culture and tradition of the Hela people.
Chairman of Hides Gas Special Purpose Authority Lemson Mapira says this event is to embrace and preserve the Wigmen culture.
Nearly a thousand people gathered in Komo Station for the launch of the Komo Festival.
A festival initiated to embrace Hela’s rich culture and tradition.
Hela is famous of its Huli Wigman, an identity of the Hela people.
Hela is also known for its lawlessness, with illegal firearms and ethnic clashes.
Hela is also host to the multi-billion kina LNG project and their cultures need to be preserved.
The event was also attended by singsing groups from Enga, Eastern and Western Highlands.
In presenting a certificate to the show organisers, the National Cultural Commission recognized the show as a national event and urged the provincial government to adopt the event into its calendar.
The Komo Festival will again be held in December with close to a million kina committed by HGDC, Prime Minister James Marape, Hela Governor Philp Undialu and the different levels of government.
