DAVAO CITY (PIA) — With the creation of the Davao City local government unit Office of Culture and the Arts, a P10-million fund will be allocated for arts and culture projects in the city.
Oscar Casaysay, head of the Office of Culture and the Arts said one of the mandates under City Ordinance 0332-23 is the creation of an endowment fund for these projects.
“The objective of the fund is to give assistance, hindi siya para sa administrative ng office, para sa assistance siya (this is not for the administrative function, but for assistance). This is like the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts we give out assistance by which the artists need to be organized, they need to be accredited with the government, because we are spending people’s money here,” Casaysay said.
He said the disbursement of the funds will be in accordance with government auditing procedures.
Casaysay, who was once the executive director of the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts before being named as head of the newly created office says they are putting the guidelines and the implementing rules and regulations before opening the call for proposals.
“We would like to encourage organizations, cultural workers and artists to submit proposals by which the ones assessing it will be the Davao City Arts and Culture Council,” Casaysay said.
The Office of the Culture and the Arts ensures the conservation and promotion of the city’s historical and cultural heritage, develops a local arts program for future generations, promotes the interest and welfare of artists and cultural workers in the city and integrates creative and cultural industries into the city’s development plans.
The new office is a division under the City Mayor’s Office. (PIA/RGA)
