Baguio Creative Council ordinance signed

March 31, 2021 – Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong recently signed Ordinance No. 45, series of 2021 that formalized the creation of the Creative Baguio City Council (CBCC).

Under the said ordinance, the CBCC strives in coming up with a more dynamic local creative community and committed to support the United Nations Frameworks, particularly the 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.

For seamless alignment, the CBCC will thrive to align its functional, operational, organizational and technical mandates based on the Philippine Strategic Framework to Promote Philippine Cultures and Values while progressively cultivating in local development efforts and governance.

Part of the mandates of the CBCC are to take the lead in policy recommendation with the end result of further growing a progressive and responsive local creative economy; do assessment and review for implementation those creative city programs deemed to be eligible for execution; empower through strategic collaboration all stakeholders in the creative sector and industry; act and serve as the city’s lead partner in the annual staging of the Baguio’s Creative Festivals; ensure the cultural sensitivity shall be consistently observed in all creative-related endavors and city initiatives; implement activities directly in line with the network’s mission statement and strategic framework outlining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network’s (UCCN) collective vision and common objectives; actively participate during the major strategic gathering of the UCCN Annual Convention and to provide updates and accomplishment report every 4 years on the implementation of set action plans and to formulate future-proof strategic mid-term initiatives which can be recommended for adoption by the network; consider providing essential support to the network through the UCCN financial contribution mechanism to which member cities are invited to participate according to their financial situation and capacities and participate actively in the craft and folk arts sub-network activities.

 The prescribed functions of the CBCC are guide, craft and recommend to the city council needed policies purposely to further grow, enhance and develop the craft and folk arts sector and other creative fields and disciplines; ensure that the designed programs are anchored with craft and folk arts as a mechanism of further promoting and sustaining Baguio City as a creative city; represent the creative economy sector in the City Development Council; ensure the implementation of all the projects and programs of the city’s creative economy; chose representatives as point persons to communicate with the UCCN and to participate in its annual meeting; formulate plans as a tool for the local chief executive to implement; confirm who will sit as co-chairperson of the CBCC who shall be from the private creative sector preferably from the crafts and folk arts and such other essential functions as may be deemed necessary.

The CBCC action plan shall be primarily out from the internal budgetary allocations of the local government and that an appropriation of P10 million shall be allotted annually for program and policy research and development in aid of legislation, consultation meetings and study preparation, policy assessment and formulation, subject to the regular accounting rules and government auditing system.  Dexter A. See