The first ever: Celebrating ORO Day – University of Papua New Guinea Drill Hall.

By Cassidey Paiyala – UPNG Student.

Beneath an intense tropical sun, the University Of Papua New Guinea Drill Hall was jam packed with hundreds of people who came to witness the Oro Open Day celebrated today, Saturday 16^th July 2011. Last weekend saw the Bougainville Day, this weekend the Oro Province ruled the Drill Hall for the first time. Oro citizens from around Port Moresby City gathered peacefully to celebrate their ancestral traditions.

With the theme: 'Promoting our identity through our culture', the Oro day was celebrated with traditional dancers who flew all the way from the Northern province, locally breed live bands, church arranged awareness on HIV/AIDS, and crowd activities such as face paintings.

This event was organised by the UPNG Oro Student Association in collaboration with its major sponsors; Oro Governor Hon. Suckling Tamanabae and NCD Governor Hon. Powes Parkop.

Three masters of ceremonies divided the day up, Twister from Nau FM took the morning session, Shifty also from Nau FM took the Mid-day session and Enjo Dabix from Rait FM wrapped up the afternoon session.

Several cultural Singsing groups from Oro; Bokoro, Waida, Tuffi, Kokoda and Aida captured the crowd's attention as they danced their way into the arena to the thunderous beating of the Kundu drums. Dressed in their traditional attire of the PNG-famous Tapa cloth wrapped around their waist and torso, bounded majestically by hand woven beads as necklaces around their body and sport glittering head-dresses made from bird of paradise feathers, these Oro singsing groups danced their hearts out under the baking Port Moresby sun.

Every one braved the heat to catch a glimpse of this magnificent culture. It was a surprise that not only men, women and children took part in this event but elderly senior-citizens also paraded in the singsing and dancing, showing the crowd they still have some energy left in them from their early days.

All singsing groups were of course treated to refreshments organised by the UPNG Oro students association, a custom known as 'Bondo'; traditional way of giving food.

Boroko Saint Martin's Anglican Church through its youth program organized and promoted AIDS awareness. They arranged a tent which gave out prizes to anyone who answered a question about HIV/AIDS or simply to anyone who visited their tent for information. 

In between the show, a long list of bands originally from Oro Province entertained the crowd much to everyone's pleasure. The likes of Koolsii, Saugas, Bad Mix Souls featuring Slim Buda, Apox, Serch Man and many more brought the stage alive, infecting the crowd through the massive sound system. A good number of crowd-favourites were played which kept everyone on its feet and roaring while a few showed their styles on the dancing floor. Music was proudly sponsored by KB Kona stones.

The day was a success for the people of Oro and an even better show was promised for next year.

 

Oro Info 

Oro Province, formerly (and officially still) Northern Province, is a coastal province of Papua New Guinea with the provincial capital of Popondetta.

The province is known for its Queen Alexandra's Birdwing Butterfly, the largest butterfly in the world with a wing span reaching lengths up to one foot (30 cm) which is proudly displayed on its provincial flag. This butterfly is found nowhere else in the world except the tropical rainforests of Oro Province.

The northern end of the Kokoda Trail terminates at the village of Kokoda in the province and the active volcano Mount Lamington. Once the Kokoda Trail was taken and provided access from Port Moresby to the hinterland during the Second World War, the coast of the then Northern District was also the scene of heavy fighting; the Buna, Gona and Sanananda campaigns are particularly well remembered.