BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance creating the Baguio City Creative Industry Council.
The ordinance authored by Councilors Maria Mylen Victoria G. Yaranon, Elmer Datuin and Elaine D. Sembrano stated that the creation of the council commits to support the United Nations frameworks, particularly the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda, apart from aligning its functional, operational and technical mandates based on the Philippine Strategic Framework to prompted Philippine culture and values 2017-2022.
The ordinance stipulated that the local government’s main goal is to make creativity an essential element for sustainable development of the city wherein the projects planned will be anchored on the sustainable Development Goals to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
The BCCIC shall be chaired by the City Mayor with the City Budget officer serving as Vice Chairperson and the City Planning and Development Officer; DOT-CAR representative; DTI-CAR representative; Chairperson, Committee on Tourism, Parks, Special Events and Playgrounds; Chairperson, Committee on Education, Culture and Historical Research; Chairperson, Committee on Public Works; Chairperson, Committee on Market, Trade, Commerce and Agriculture; Chairperson, Committee on Employment, Livelihood and Cooperatives and Persons with Disabilities; Baguio Arts and Crafts Collectives, Inc.; academe representative; National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA) representative; National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) representative; Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners representative; Girls Scouts of the Philippines Baguio chapter representative; and representatives from crafts and folk arts, sculpture and carving, metal craft, weaving, design, United Architects of the Philippines, film, gastronomy, literature, music and media arts.
The BCCIC shall implement activities directly in line with the network’s mission statement and strategic framework, report every four years on the implementation of its action plan presented in the application to take stock of the main achievements and to recommend future strategic mid-term initiatives; participate in each United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Creative Cities Network annual meeting; consider providing financial support to the network through the governing body’s financial contribution mechanism to which member cities are invited to participate according to their financial situation and capacities; participate actively in the craft and folk arts sub-network activities; communicate actively and regularly with the UNESCO to spread information and initiatives undertaken locally and internationally; policy-recommending body and such other functions as may be deemed necessary.
The ordinance added that the proposed action plan shall be primarily funded out of the city’s internal budgetary allocations and that an appropriation of P630 million to be implemented in phases for study preparation, infrastructure construction and refurbishment and management shall be earmarked for the purpose and that international initiatives will be allotted P40 million purposely for event execution, familiarization trips among others.
Earlier, Baguio City was included in the Creative Cities Network after being adjudged as a creative city for crafts and folk arts.
By Dexter A. See
Banner photo by Meryl Perez
