BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance creating the Baguio City Creative Committee.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Maria Mylen Victoria G. Yaranon states that the city government commits itself in supporting United Nations frameworks, particularly the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda wherein it will align its functional, operational and technical mandates based on the Philippine Strategic Framework to Promote Philippine Culture and Values 2017-2022.
The ordinance stipulates that the city government’s main goal is to make creativity an essential element for sustainable development of the city where projects planned for the city are anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal No. 11, to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Among the goals set by the city to achieve by 2030, as a member of the Creative cities Network, include provide livelihood for the city’s residents, particularly to the under privileged but skilled members of the society; foster close ties with fellow member cities, especially those that belong to the crafts and folk arts sector; implement capacity development programs for crafts people, and for the promising young talents of the region; institutionalize the Baguio Creative Arts Festival; develop and promote the Baguio City Creative Circuit that shall link existing buildings and institutions in the city considered as venues to showcase the city’s creative spirit; establish creative centers to be funded and managed by the city government in collaboration with concerned government agencies, for indigenous arts and crafts, as part of the city’s commitments; offer entrepreneurship trainings and seminars to the city’s artists; establish economic cooperation with other creative cities worldwide and inspire and guide other Philippine cities aiming to attain the same recognition.
The committee shall be chaired by the City Mayor with the City Budget Officer serving as vice chairperson. The members of the committee will be the City Planning and Development officer; chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Committee on Tourism, Parks, Playgrounds and Special Events; chairperson of the SP Committee on Education, Culture and Historical Research; chairperson of the SP Committee on Public works; chairperson of the SP Committee on Market, Trade, Commerce and Agriculture; chairperson of the SP Committee on Employment, Livelihood, Cooperatives and Persons with Disability; chairperson of the SP Committee on Youth Welfare and Sports Development; Baguio Arts and Crafts Collectives, Inc.; NCIP-CAR regional director; representatives from the Cordillera offices of the DOT, DTI, DepEd, NEDA, CSC, NCIP, TESDA, academe, Association of Private School Administrators, NCCA, Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Boy Scouts of the Philippines, crafts and folk arts, sculpture and carving, metal crafts and weaving, design, United Architects of the Philippines, film, gastronomy, literature, music and media arts.
The duties and functions of the committee shall be to implement activities in line with the network’s mission statement; report every 4 years on the implementation of the action plan; participate in annual meetings; consider providing financial support to the network; participate actively in the craft and folk arts sub-network activities; communicate actively and regularly to the UNESCO Secretariat; recommend appropriate policies and such other functions as may be deemed necessary.
By Dexter A. See
