BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan revealed that the concerned government agencies, the local government and the organizers of the 2018 EntaCool Baguio creative arts festival will welcome suggestions and recommendations for the conduct of the festival to help in improving the conduct of similar activities that will allow the city to maintain its designation as a creative city on crafts and folk arts under the Creative Cities Network of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The local chief executive claimed that aside from the various observations raised by some artists on the conduct of activities for the festival, he also has his personal suggestions and recommendations he will share when festival is evaluated.
“The artists played a key role in the identification of the activities and the execution of the programs so whatever misgivings they have should be raised with their colleagues because the local government played a secondary role in the execution of the activities lined up for the festival,” Domogan stressed.
He claimed in the case of the forest bathing, the historical significance of the ecotrails should be given emphasis so that residents and visitors will understand the historical value of the trails and the whole Camp John Hay reservation aside from empowering them to embrace the health and wellness event that will run through the whole year and not simply during the creative arts festival of the city.
According to him, suggestions, recommendations and observations on how the events were conducted are welcome and should be brought to the organizers of the events to serve as part of the planning and implementation of similar future events.
It will be recalled that on October 31, 2017, Baguio City was included by the UNESCO as part of the elite list of creative cities in crafts and folk arts that made the city the first city in the country and the 5th city in Southeast Asia to be part of the Creative Cities Network.
In February 2018, some government agencies, the local government and the Baguio Arts and Creatives Collections Inc., as well as other stakeholders, formally launched the city’s newest designation that paved the way for the ongoing EntaCool festival.
Domogan claimed the active participation of the artists and artisans in the planning and execution of the programs, projects and activities of the first-ever creative arts festival only shows the ability of the various sectors to help in preserving and protecting the city’s newest designation as part of the UNESCO-CCN.
He rallied other sectors that have suggestions and recommendations on how to improve the creative arts festival to bring their observations to the appropriate committee handling the said events as a basis to improve the future conduct of similar events for the benefit of the people of the city and nearby areas.
By Dexter A. See
Baguio Creative Festival should not be associated with politics. Let a private group handle this without any politicians getting involved. Then and only then CREATIVITY will flourish. Let there be NO WALLS, no boundaries and no THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. Get rid of the box instead and be free to dream