Top village awards
VILLAGES are gearing up for the task of ratcheting up effort to promote economic activity as they keep an eye on the Excellent Village Award National Level 2010.
Village representatives interviewed by The Brunei Times yesterday said the consultative councils of their kampungs would busy themselves in the next few months with planning their next steps in advancing marketing campaigns for products that showcase Bruneian craftmanship and talent.
The Brunei Times yesterday interviewed representatives from kampungs that had products on display at the exhibition held at the International Convention Centre.
Hj Mohd Rais Hj Ishak, head of Jerudong Village in the Brunei-Muara District, said his kampung has plans to outdo its own performance in the past 12 months. His village secured a spot in top five of best Brunei-Muara villages in the 2009 awards.
Last year, the project for Jerudong only consisted of producing handicrafts but beginning in 2010, there are plans to promote their products through tourism, he said.
“We are going to change for the best next year, Insyaallah, by promoting our village through tourism. We are hoping to set up a tourism committee to handle this,” he said.
Although Jerudong is a small town, he said that through the committee, they will be able to focus on its attractions, such as the hotels, the fish market, the Palace areas, the BRIDEX building, Jerudong Park as well as the Jerudong Park Medical Centre.
In improving tourism in Jerudong, he said that budget as well as collaboration played an important role.
“In order to achieve the budget, we need the collaboration from tourism agencies as well as hotels. There should be joint ventures because nowadays, you see a lot of tourists around Jerudong,” he said.
By next year, he said he is going to make sure Jerudong will see an improved tourism sector.
“This is one of the ways for us to promote our handicrafts,” he said.
He added: “We are currently making plans and hopefully, we can launch them by next year, Insyaallah.”
Halang Rias, a representative from Kg Bukit in the Tutong District, said they are hoping to see their handicrafts find their way into more trade exhibitions next year.
He added that village officials are also looking forward to establishing a shop for kampung products.
The village makes baskets out of mengkuang leaves called raya (pronounced as ghaya). Village officials have yet to evaluate their plans with the village head as the handicrafts are all part of the work done by mukims and villages, he said.
“So far there have only been planning reports such as participating in exhibitions, showcasing the products in government (offices) and also hotels, but it is still under consideration,” he said.
Hj Ahmad Hj Hussain of Kg Belais dan Buda-Buda in the Temburong District said his village would be pushing new projects to further economic progress.
His village won the bronze medal in the Excellent Award 2009.
These projects include chicken farming, mushroom planting, preservation of a heritage park and also expanding fishing areas.
The exhibition at ICC showcased numerous villages promoting their products not only to locals but as well as foreigners. The Brunei Times
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