House Committee Approves Bill Creating Baguio High School for the Arts

The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture has approved a bill that seeks to create a special high school for the arts for talented students in Baguio City.

Baguio City Representative Mark Go refiled HB 974, Establishing the Baguio City High School for the Arts, which seeks to nurture young artists’ creative talents and support the city’s long-standing heritage of folk art and crafts. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives in the 18th Congress.

The bill would support the city’s commitment to upholding its creative and cultural traditions and providing sustainable livelihood to its local artisans.

Baguio City became the first Philippine city to be inducted into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2017, which recognizes cities with rich cultural heritage, and that recognize creativity as a major factor in their urban development.

Once signed into law, the school will be administered and supervised by the Department of Education (DepEd), in close coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). The NCCA and CCP will provide policy direction and technical assistance to the school through the DepEd-Cordillera Administrative Regional Office and Baguio City’s Schools Division Office.

According to Rep. Go, the approval of HB 974 will be a significant milestone for Baguio City, a city that is known for its strong cultural traditions and highly values its creative industries. Go added that the school would provide an avenue for the talented youth of Baguio and the greater Northern Luzon area to hone their skills and foster artistic expression.

The Baguio lawmaker said that a formal academic institution focused on the arts would help ensure long-term sustainability in the creative sector, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

The City of Pines is home to a bustling creative tourism and artistic community and counts National Artist Benedict “Bencab” Cabrera and famed director Kidlat Tahimik as long-time residents.

“The city has been recognized by the global initiative for its crafts and folk art expressions which not only showcase indigenous talents but also provide sustainable livelihood to many residents through the city’s local trade and creative tourism economy,” Rep. Go said.

“Culture and the arts are essential to the holistic development of society. As such, it is important to inculcate in the youth the value of the arts, to give them an avenue for their creative pursuits, and to introduce them to real-world opportunities in the creative sector”, he added.###