TABUK CITY, Kalinga (PIA) — More than 100 artists, artisans, designers, entrepreneurs, students, and cultural advocates gathered for the Creative Industry Summit on November 29, 2024, at Davidson Hotel in Bulanao, Tabuk City.
The summit was part of the Mangwa Creative Festival, which celebrates the creativity and cultural diversity of Tabukeños while aiming to bolster the city’s creative industries.
Participants were provided lectures and engaged in forums on cultural and creative tourism, education and upskilling for creatives, and on intellectual property rights.
Local creative performers also showcased their talents through cultural presentations.
In her message, Karen Lising, chief trade and industry specialist of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) -Cordillera, said the country is now working toward becoming Asia’s premier creative hub by 2030 following the recent approval of the framework for the Philippine Creative Industries Development Plan which was crafted to guide the objectives set by the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act.
To achieve this goal, she emphasized the need to harness all local creativity and encourage innovation across diverse industries.
She highlighted music, film, animation and digital content as among the sectors already making strides in the local creative industry.
For Kalinga, she said the cultural mapping identified its creative domains as design, traditional cultural expressions, performing arts, and audiovisual media, but may still include other domains. Resource speaker John Christopher Mesana discussed the interconnection between culture, creativity, and tourism.
He emphasized the importance of enhancing tourism experiences and engaging visitors to boost local tourism.
Mesana also highlighted the need for developing tourism activities that cater to all age groups as multi-generational tourism is now the trend.
Mesana also stressed the importance of creative education and upskilling, saying that artisans must also be educated as their works are highly exploitable.
He urged for programs that empower families to cultivate creativity among children and provide platforms for creatives to showcase their talents.
Meanwhile, Engr. Jeanne Dangkeo of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) called for greater awareness among local creatives about intellectual property rights to protect their works. (JDP/RGA-PIA CAR, Kalinga)
