Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas announced a commitment of K10, 000 towards supporting the recently held Malamata Yapo Cultural Festival. The funding will help in maintaining the newly revived Malamata Yapo Cultural Centre. He emphasized in his speech the value of cultural events in determining community needs and providing services. "We can identify community needs and deliver services more effectively through these cultural festivals." The governor commended the National Cultural Commission for reaching out to isolated places that frequently lack access to government services. "The National Cultural Commission is committed to working with rural areas to deliver cultural services and programs, and we are making great progress in this regard by reaching out to them." He also outlined plans to assist children from Malamata and nearby communities attend nursing and teachers' colleges which will enable them to serve their communities in the future. He also outlined plans to start air services from Wapenamenda to Malamata through a partnership with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) after the airstrip fence is finished. In order to help maintain the school and build student housing for the children from the area's farther-flung villages, Governor Ipatas also bought a walkabout saw mill. He promised K200,000 last year, and he still plans to contribute K200,000 to the community school and other initiatives. Meanwhile, Mr. Steven Enomb Kilanda, Executive Director of the National Cultural Commission, underlined the importance of culture in spurring economic growth and drawing necessary services to remote communities. He called on the Malamata community to maintain the cultural center and take charge of the ongoing projects.