BAGUIO CITY – The City Councilors approved an ordinance institutionalizing the month of October every year as Museums and Galleries month in the city.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Maria Mylen Victoria G. Yaranon, Vladimir Cayabas, Lilia A. Fariñas and Levy Lloyd Orcales states that Section 458 of the Local Government Code states that the Sangguniang Panlungsod as the legislative body of the city, shall enact ordinances, approve resolutions and appropriate funds, establish a city council whose purpose is the promotion of culture and the arts, coordinate with governme4nt agencies and non-governmental organizations and, subject to the availability of funds, appropriate funds to the support and development of the same.
Further, Section 16 of the same code states that every local government unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential for the promotion of general welfare.
Within their respective territorial jurisdictions, local government units shall ensure and support, among other things, the preservation and enrichment of culture, promote health and safety, enhance the right of the people to a balanced ecology, encourage and support the development of appropriate and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, improve public morals, enhance economic prosperity and social justice, promote full employment among their residents, maintain peace and order and preserve the comfort and convenience of their inhabitants.
Article 14, Section 15 of the Philippine Constitution states that arts and letters shall enjoy the patronage of the State and that the State shall conserve, promote and popularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations.
On the other hand, Article 14, Section 14 of the Constitution also provides that the State shall foster the preservation, enrichment and dynamic evolution of a Filipino national culture based on a principle of unity in diversity in a climate of free, artistic and intellectual expression.
Moreover, Article 2 Section 17 of the same guarantees that the State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress and promote total human liberation and development.
The celebration of the Museums and Galleries month every October will be part of the city government’s additional interventions to enhance the programs, projects and activities that have been crafted to bolster the city’s designation as one of the few creative cities on crafts and folk arts in the global village.
On October 31, 2017, the United Nations Creative Cities Network designated Baguio city as a creative city for crafts and folk arts in recognition of its diverse culture, and rich heritage and history making it the only city in the Philippines designated as such by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The city government is mandated to sustain the implementation of programs, projects and activities geared towards the preservation and protection of arts and culture in the city.
By Dexter A. See
