The annual National Mask and Warwagira Festival for the people of East New Britain has come back this year and Bank South Pacific is proud to associate itself with the event as the silver sponsor. The National Mask and Warwagira Festival promotes the unique cultures of the Tolais, Baining and Pomios. The festival kicked off this week Wednesday and will end tomorrow Saturday 13th of July, 2024, in Rabaul. Kokopo Branch Manager Johnson Tetega in presenting BSP’s support of K10,000 to the National Mask & Warwagira Festival Committee on Wednesday 10th July, at the start of the event, stated that BSP is pleased to be supporting the event since 2011, thus it not only celebrates the unique mask cultures of East New Britain but continues to preserve and promote the cultures through its practise among the next generation. “BSP as a community and people’s bank is proud to support a cultural event that is important to the people of East New Britain,” Mr Tetega said. “BSP will be assisting customers at the Queen Elizabeth Park in Rabaul with personal banking needs – we will be available to open new Personal Accounts (Kids, Sumatin, Kundu and Plus Savers) register customers on Digital Banking services or attend to general enquiries.” Apart from supporting such festivals, BSP is proud to be serving East New Britain through our Kokopo, Rabaul, Kerevat and Palmalmal branches, 19 BSP Agents, 16 ATMs, 400+ EFTPoS and BSP continues to deliver 29 and counting Community Projects. “We have invested K790,000 in various Community Projects in East New Britain since 2009 and will continue to support where we can.” The festival commenced with the ‘Kinavai’ ceremony, which took place at dawn and features the arrival of the Tolai ‘Tubans’ and ‘Duk-Duks’ on canoes to the sound of drums and singing. At night visitors will be able to watch the Baining people perform ‘fire dances’, leaping barefoot in traditional dress through blazing bonfires.