UNESCO has declared Baguio as the first Creative City in the Philippines, joining 64 other cities from 44 countries designated as UNESCO Creative Cities.

The announcement on Baguio’s recognition was made by Director-General Irina Bokova in statement posted Tuesday from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Director Venus Q. Tan of Department of Tourism, Cordillera Administrative Region (DOT-CAR), who spearhead the application of Baguio to be nominated, said in a telephone interview with The Manila Bulletin it was “a concerted effort.”

Tan thanked the other members of the group who worked for the nomination such as UP Baguio Chancellor Raymundo Rovillos, Indie film maker-artist Kidalat Tahimik, and the late Ikat weaver Narda Capuyan .

“Baguio now is now a trail blazer for other cities in the country to join the Creative Cities Network,” Tan said.

Tan posted, after receiving congratulations: “I woke up today with the happiest news that Baguio City has been declared as one of the new UNESCO creative cities in its network! Baguio is among 15 cities in the world proclaimed by UNESCO as new creative cities network in the field of arts and folk arts! Other Creative fields include Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Art, and Music. Baguio is now among 180 exclusive creative cities in 72 countries in the world” she exclaimed.

Maricar Docyogen, one of the members of the group which advocated for Baguio, said, “This is the first in the Philippines.” She mentioned the other members of the group as DOT-CAR , UP Chancellor Reymundo Rovillos , Jose Maria Rivera of Baguio City Tourism Office plus City Mayor Mauricio Domogan for believing Baguio should submit the application.”

For his part Rivera said that “Baguio City makes it to the prestigious UNESCO Creative Cities Network! A first for the Philippines! Congratulations to the Baguio citizenry and the initiators of our entry: Marie Venus Tan, Jovi Ganongan, DOT – Cordilleras, UP Baguio Chancellor Raymundo Rovillos, Leticia Clemente, Engr. Evelyn Cayat, Baguio culture and the arts representatives, and the City Tourism and Special Events Office.”

According to the UNESCO statement, “The new designations showcase an enhanced diversity in city profiles and geographical balance, with 19 cities from countries not previously represented in the Network.”

The new 64 UNESCO Creative Cities are: Alba (Italy) – Gastronomy, Almaty (Kazakhstan) – Music, Amarante (Portugal) – Music, Auckland (New Zealand) – Music, Baguio CIty (Philippines) – Crafts and Folk Art, Barcelos (Portugal) – Crafts and Folk Art, Braga (Portugal) – Media Arts, Brasilia (Brazil) – Design, Bristol (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) – Film, Brno (Czechia) – Music, Bucheon (Republic of Korea) – Literature, Buenaventura (Colombia) – Gastronomy, Cairo (Egypt) – Crafts and Folk Art, Cape Town (South Africa) – Design, Carrara (Italy) – Crafts and Folk Art, Changsha (China) – Media Arts, Chennai (India) – Music, Chiang Mai (Thailand) – Crafts and Folk Art, Chordeleg (Ecuador) – Crafts and Folk Art, Cochabamba (Bolivia [Plurinational State of]) – Gastronomy, Daegu Metropolitan City (Republic of Korea) – Music, Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – Design, Durban (South Africa) – Literature, Frutillar (Chile) – Music, Gabrovo (Bulgaria) – Crafts and Folk Art, [City of] Greater Geelong (Australia) – Design, Guadalajara (Mexico) – Media Arts, Hatay Metropolitan Municipality (Turkey), Gastronomy, Istanbul (Turkey) – Design,João Pessoa (Brazil) – Crafts and Folk Art, Kansas City (United States of America) – Music, Kolding (Denmark) – Design, Kortrijk (Belgium) – Design, Košice (Slovakia) – Media Arts, Kütahya (Turkey) – Crafts and Folk Art, Lillehammer (Norway) – Literature, Limoges (France) – Crafts and Folk Art, Lódz (Poland) – Film, Macao Special Administrative Region, China (Associate Member, UNESCO) – Gastronomy, Madaba (Jordan) – Crafts and Folk Art, Manchester (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) – Literature, Mexico City (Mexico) – Design, Milan (Italy) – Literature, Morelia (Mexico) – Music, Norrköping (Sweden) – Music, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) – Crafts and Folk Art, Panama City (Panama) – Gastronomy, Paraty (Brazil) – Gastronomy, Pesaro (Italy) – Music, Porto-Novo (Benin) – Crafts and Folk Art,Praia (Cabo Verde) – Music, Qingdao (China) – Film, Québec City (Canada) – Literature, San Antonio (United States of America) – Gastronomy, Seattle (United States of America) – Literature, Sheki (Azerbaijan) – Crafts and Folk Art, Sokodé (Togo) – Crafts and Folk Art, Terrassa (Spain) – Film, Tétouan (Morocco) – Crafts and Folk Art, Toronto (Canada) – Media Arts, Tunis (Tunisia) – Crafts and Folk Art, Utrecht (Netherlands) – Literature, Wuhan (China) – Design, Yamagata City (Japan) – Film With the inclusion of Baguio is “within the framework of the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda, the Network provides a platform for cities to demonstrate culture’s role as an enabler for building sustainable cities.”

Baguio Representative Mark Go said he will be proposing a resolution in Congress on Monday congratulating the technical working who made the nomination, the artists who continue make a Baguio a artists’ haven, and for continued support for Baguio’s Creative Cities status.

Source:
Ihsan PELITA BRUNEI

by J.J. Landingin

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]