Tourism authority urges people to use blessings wisely

THE people of Megabo in the upper Bena area of Eastern Highlands have been urged to use wisely what God has blessed them with to enrich their lives.
Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) chief executive Eric Mossman Uvovo told the Megabo community that God had blessed them with rich cultural and natural resources which they should nurture and cherish for future generations.
Uvovo was speaking at the launching of the Megabo cane swallowing festival at the Yasina Nature Park last Thursday.
According to a statement from the PNGTPA, cane swallowing is a traditional initiation ceremony performed exclusively by men in that part of Eastern Highlands and it is a major attraction at the Goroka show every year.
The men hold both ends of a small cane and swallow up to 30cm of it before pulling it out.
The Yasina Nature Park is part of the Bismarck Range bordering Ramu towards Madang.
It has been surveyed and will be declared as a protected conservation area hosting not only unique and diverse animal and plant species but holds historical sites, including relics from the WWII.
Uvovo said it was encouraging to note that the Megabo community continued to maintain peace and harmony in their society through the intervention of the Seventh-day Adventist church which provided health and education services to complement other Government services in this remote part of PNG since independence.