Creative industries may yet save the Philippines
http://news.inq7.net/lifestyle/index.php?index=2&story_id=51357
Sept 26, 2005
By Augusto Villalon
WHAT The A What Publishing, handicraft, architecture, film, tourism, Because of the lack of data, the creative industries The The many international awards won by Philippine products in trade fairs all over the globe is proof of their excellence. Another When the Singapore Art Museum was conceptualized, work by Filipino artists was one of the backbones of its collection. Over the last five years, three Filipino projects were winners in the prestigious Unesco Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Awards. At The awards certify that the Philippine cultural industry is world-class. To Once Most highly prized Richard Creativity, says Florida, cuts across disciplines. Because How to make the creative industries a force to be reckoned with? Awareness At Government support is definitely Instead of the usual It Before expecting the government to institute programs for What it means is that if culture is going to be Nestor Jardin, CCP president, said that a mayor once Creativity, art and culture per se might not be edible, Time has come to change the negative stereotypes that have Culture is, after all, the human factor that makes Philippine society different from other societies in the world. Feedback is welcome at afvillalon@hotmail.com
ARE THE CREATIVE industries? What do they actually do? Do they
contribute to the national economy? Do they enhance national
well-being? Are creative industries a force to be reckoned with?
Department of Trade and Industry, Citem, Cultural Center of the
Philippines, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and British
Council organized the First Philippine Creative Industries Forum which
brought the creative community together to answer those questions.
succession of stereotypes has clouded public perception of the creative
industries, relegating them to the background: Creativity is for the
elite, that it is nonessential for nation-building, that the creative
sector is fractious, undisciplined and unreliable, and so on.
are the creative industries? Another stereotype immediately leads to
artistic endeavor, flaky at best. However, creativity goes beyond that
stereotype.
food, cultural heritage are a few of the many professional disciplines
that are creative industries. These are business enterprises that
employ a number of people whose earnings contribute to the national
economy.
could be considered a young sector in our national economy, but it
could be one of the oldest in fact. Traditional livelihoods, like
agriculture, trading, woodcarving, loom-weaving, basketry, and other
crafts-based activities, have been sustaining Filipinos for a long time.
DTI, Citem and Design Center Philippines have successfully built up
crafts-based production as a base for employment and export
manufacturing for Philippine products which have become extremely
successful in the international market.
recognition of excellence is the recent pirating of Ballet Philippines
dancers by Hong Kong Disneyland for the theme park’s daily
song-and-dance extravaganzas.
the recently concluded Holcim Awards for Sustainable Architectural
Development, nine awardees were from China, one from Japan, and two
from the Philippines.
really know the impact of creative industries in the country, an
inventory should be done to determine the number of people working in
the sector and their contributions to the national economy.
the statistics are in, my forecast is that the numbers will prove arts
and culture contribute significantly to national economy.
Florida, in his book "The Rise of the Creative Class," says that
creativity is "the most highly prized commodity in our economy."
Creativity is multidimensional. Therefore, it can be economic,
technological and organizational, and is not confined just to the
artistic and cultural as people are made to believe.
creativity is essential to the success of any endeavor, people with
exceptional creativity are the individuals who make a strong mark as
the key assets of not only the organizations but of nations as well.
is crucial. Not many people know what the creative industries are and
how they contribute to the psychic and economic Philippine well-being.
the conference, the strongest sentiment was that the national
government should aid and support the creative industries on a level
higher than it currently does.
needed. But what support should it give? That was the challenge the
conference threw to the participants.
top-down approach where government is expected to solve all ills, why
not a partnership between the cultural community and the government
that focuses on specific issues that need immediate attention?
really came down to the private sector, the cultural community in this
instance, having to take the lead and tell the government what it
needs. The public sector should respond to the needs of the private
sector.
the cultural industries to flourish, culture should flourish in each
Filipino.
respected as essential in nation-building, we should respect culture in
our own homes first. If teachers tell our children that our culture is
worth a second look, will our children believe their teachers if their
parents do not provide the example that Philippine culture is worth
saving?
asked him: "Sining at kultura, makakain ba ‘yan?" (Can you eat arts and
culture?)
but as the creative industries they certainly put food on many tables.
And going beyond that, they definitely put the Philippines on the world
map.
sidelined the creative community, which should now enjoy recognition as
an essential force in nation-building.
