BAGUIO CITY – The City Government will link arms with the various arts groups and patrons under the Creative Cities Network in the City to ensure the success of the 1st International Baguio Arts and Creatives Festival here in November.
The groups began mapping out plans as early as July for the festival which according to incoming City Tourism Officer Engr. Aloysius Mapalo will be mounted in line with Baguio’s designation as a Creative City in the field of Crafts and Folk Art by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In the meeting led last Aug. 9, the attention was trained on readying the possible venue, the Dominican Hill and Retreat House in Dominican-Mirador barangay for the breakthrough event.
Arch. Aris Go said the building, currently in decrepit state, needs to be repaired, strengthened and spruced up which will be undertaken in coordination with the City Buildings and Architecture Office under Engr. Nazita Banez and in accordance with the standards for heritage sites.
The different artist groups representing the various creative fields namely crafts and folk arts, design, film, gastronomy, literature, music and media arts were tasked to submit their own activities, concepts and parameters for consideration in the final planning.
To drum up the event, a massive marketing campaign will be launched for the project.
Councilor Mylen Yaranon and City Budget Officer Leticia Clemente assured the full support of the City Government to the endeavor.
Yaranon said the conduct of the festival is one of the commitments that the City needs to fulfill as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
She said the other the obligations are the setting up of creative centers which is now being considered possibly at the Post Office site, the Baguio Convention Center, Benguet-Ifugao-Bontoc-Apayao-Kalinga (BIBAK) area and the Maharlika Livelihood Center; the designation of a creative circuit targeted to cover Bunrham Park, Baguio Museum, Sunshine Park, University of the Philippines Baguio until the Baguio Convention Center to be incorporated in the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP); and the revitalization of the sister city program to integrate arts exchange activities which she said will provide exposure to local artists in the international market.
In the educational aspect, the incorporation of the creative arts in the school curriculum will also be pursued, Yaranon added.
Clemente urged the various groups to submit the activities for purposes of funding to be sourced out by the City Government and the Dept. of Tourism Cordillera (DOT-CAR).
By Aileen P. Refuerzo