ILOILO City – This southern city is one of the pioneer local government units across the country that was conferred with Lunsod Lunsad Award by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The city will receive P2.7 million worth of grant and technical support to develop its creative industry.
Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP) Office head Velma Jane Lao said the award is an offshoot of the city being the candidate for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative City of Gastronomy.
The city made a bid for “Lunsod Lunsad: A Call for Creative Proposals towards Building Creative Cities,” a project that encourages cities to submit programs, projects and activities (PPA) that support creative and innovative initiatives and promotes socio-economic development through its local creative assets.
“We will be implementing the project starting this year until next year. DTI will be downloading P500,000 for the mapping of the cultural assets of Iloilo City to begin with,” said Lao.
She noted that Mayor Jerry P. Treñas wants to focus on the creative industry involving visual artists, performing artists, gastronomy, and digital arts.
After the mapping, a roadmap will be crafted. Training will follow at the Philippine Trade Training Center by next year.
“This is the best way to reach marginalized sectors like those with talent to paint pero wala man sang gallery nga ila,” Lao said.
The city also gets grant worth P2.2 million under FiestaKucha: Philippine Regional Creative Festivals.
FiestaKucha is a platform for artists, performers, and creative individuals to showcase and celebrate their talent and skills.
In December this year, Lao said the city government will hold showcase and competitions of Ilonggo cuisines: “Kasadyahan sa Gab-i, which is a night showcasing vibrant culture, artistic experiences, and creative tourism in Western Visayas through performances and gastronomy; and “Istorya Ta,” series of topics that delve on creative industry topics. (With a report from Philippine News Agency)/PN
