BAGUIO ALL SET FOR IBAGIW FESTIVAL MONTH

Baguio City is all set and ready for a creative month this November.

Acting City Mayor Benny Bomogao issued Executive Order No. 116, series of 2024 declaring the month of November as the 2024 Ibagiw Baguio Creative Festival enjoining community support and promulgating guidelines.

This will be the seventh staging of the Ibagiw Creative Festival with the theme, “Inquisitive. Disruptive. Creative.”

The Creative Baguio City Council (CBCC) in joint sponsorship with the city government through the City Tourism Office will manage the month-long activity pursuant to the designation of Baguio City as a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative City for Crafts and Folk Arts since 2017.

A press conference to launch the Creative Month will be held on Nov. 4 at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center followed by an opening gala on Nov. 8 at the same venue.

Several art exhibits and installations featuring local artists, folk arts, and crafts were interspersed for the whole month including gastro-art crawls, art and craft bazaars, cultural and creative shows, and Creative Sundays at Session Road with busking activities among others.

This year highlights the inclusion of children and the youth in creative arts with the Crafts and Folk Arts Competition – Kids Edition scheduled on Nov. 15-16 at SM City Baguio; and, the Curiosity: 2nd Asian Festival Children’s Content Circle Philippines at the Baguio Convention Center on Nov. 21-23.

Awarding ceremonies called Anido Night will be on Nov. 23 at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center.

But activities will continue up to the first week of December with the Dap-ayan E.5 Malikhain Traditional and Digital Painting on Nov. 26-27 at 237 Avenue by GAV Bldg, Upper Bonifacio St., cor. Holy Ghost Proper.

The 8th Madeko Kito will take place at UP Baguio from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1; Barangay Placemaking Challenge will be held Nov. 29 at the University of the Cordillera; the DOT Art in the Park will be from Nov. 29 to Dec. at Sunshine Park; and the World Ikat Textiles Symposium will wrap up the activities from Dec. 3-6, 2024 at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center.

As a UNESCO Creative City, the city government is mandated to foster cooperation with and among 246 member cities that recognize creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development in the fields of design, film, gastronomy, literature, music, media arts, and crafts and folk art. – JM Samidan