The Department of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with the City of Bacolod, launched the Creative Industry Summit at SMX Convention Center Dec. 8.
The summit showcases the dynamic and innovative facets of the creative sector of Bacolod, and marks a significant step towards positioning the highly-urbanized city as a prime destination for the creative industry and in empowering artists to enhance their capabilities and broaden their horizons, the city said.
Present at the launching and stakeholders’ forum were Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez, co-author of the Creative Industries Development Act; Bacolod LEDIPO head Mae Llamas, city tourism consultant Tin Mansinares, Councilor Em Ang, DTI provincial director Lynna Joy Cardinal, Arlene Infante of the Association of Negros Producers, incoming city administrator Lucille Gelvolea, Frank Carbon of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Dr. Eric Arthur Dio, dean of the University of St. La Salle Graduate School.
The summit, scheduled from Dec. 9 to 11, will feature a series of complementary workshops in various creative domains, including photography, graphics design, digital arts, live events, and souvenir arts, the city said.
The culmination will take place on Dec. 13, also at SMX, highlighted by the creative outputs of the summit participants.
“Culture isn’t just a concept; it’s our everyday life, which also needs to be cultivated,” Benitez said in his speech.
Republic Act 11904, or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, which lapsed into law July 28 last year, provides for the development and promotion of the creative industries in the country, and the protection and strengthening of the rights and capacities of creative firms, artists, artisans, creators, workers, indigenous cultural communities, content providers, and other stakeholders.
Section 23 of the law states that the negosyo centers in LGUs established under RA 10644, or the Go Negosyo Act, “shall extend its services as a one-stop shop to assist creative industry MSMEs or entrepreneurs in availing of government services that are applicable to the creative industries, including intellectual property registration, product and business registration, loans, grants, and benefits programs”. ||
