Draft bill 204.

Summary.

The draft bill would establish the National Arts and Crafts and Folklore Festival of La Arena de Chitré as a celebration of cultural, folkloric, gastronomic, commercial, and artisanal interest associated with preserving identity. Its main venue would be the corregimiento (district) of La Arena, District of Chitré, province of Herrera. It would take place on the third weekend of March each year in recognition of March 19, a day honoring Panamanian artisans. Its purposes include promoting artisanal work, cultural and gastronomic expressions, commerce, the regional economy, the transmission of knowledge between generations, and cultural tourism. Artisans, artists, promoters of traditions, and producers would be able to participate.

The bill would create the Board of the National Arts and Crafts and Folklore Festival of La Arena de Chitré as a public interest, nonprofit legal entity with its own assets, administrative autonomy, and domicile in the District of Chitré. The Board would exercise no public functions except managing funds assigned by the State for the Festival’s purposes. It would plan, organize, and hold the event with local authorities, organized community groups, and the Ministry of Culture (Ministerio de Cultura). It would approve and publish an annual program and budget, obtain resources and enter into agreements, establish public participation criteria, promote training and outreach, coordinate accessibility, safety, health, and environmental protection measures, account for its activities, and promote the Festival nationally.

The Board would have nine principal members, each with an alternate. They would represent the Ministry of Culture, the Panama Tourism Authority (Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá), the Municipality of Chitré (Municipio de Chitré), and the La Arena Community Board (Junta Comunal de La Arena), alongside two artisan representatives, two representatives of folklore associations, and one representative of traditional food producers from La Arena. Community sectors would choose their representatives through a public call with notice, objective eligibility criteria, and proof of sector representation. Community members would serve for two years and could be reelected once; institutional representatives would serve while their appointments remained valid. The principal members would elect a Management Committee for a two year term, comprising a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The president would legally represent the Board, and the Committee could select an executive coordinator under the approved budget and internal rules.

The Board would approve programs, budgets, management reports, financial statements, internal rules, and participation rules; manage its property; and authorize agreements and property transactions. It would meet in ordinary session at least once every three months and in extraordinary session when called by its president or requested by three members. Meetings could be held in person or electronically; a quorum would be five members, and decisions would require a majority. Members would have to abstain from decisions involving personal economic interests and record the conflict in the minutes. The appointing institution or sector could replace a member in the circumstances specified in the bill. An alternate would vote only when the principal member was absent.

The Board could receive authorized public budget allocations, donations, sponsorships, bequests, and income related to its purposes. It would use its resources for the Festival, training, promotion, and essential administrative expenses; keep separate accounts; and identify the source and use of public funds. Public resources would be subject to applicable oversight, including that of the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (Contraloría General de la República). The Board would publish its program and budget before each Festival and make them available to the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Chitré, and the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic. Competent institutions could provide technical and logistical support. The Ministry of Culture would convene the initial members within 90 days after the law entered into force; the Board would adopt internal rules within 90 days after its installation. Organizations already holding the Festival could collaborate through agreements while retaining their own legal status, property, contracts, and obligations. Transfers would require their owners’ consent and compliance with applicable rules.

The proposal concerns the Ministry of Culture, the Panama Tourism Authority, the Municipality of Chitré, the La Arena Community Board, and the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic. Its content could affect or interest artisanal, folkloric, food, commercial, and tourism sectors in La Arena, Azuero, and the Republic of Panama.