Creative Cebu Council formed

CEBU, Philippines - To sustain the “Creative Cebu” campaign, the creative community here has officially created a body that will be responsible for the development of the industry through the support of the Department of Trade and Industry Cebu Provincial Office.

 Jay P. Aldeguer, one of the prime movers of the “Creative Cebu” program and known as the creative entrepreneur nexus in the Philippines, said the Creative Cebu Council Inc., was created with the help of the DTI-Cebu with a bid to elevate the creative industry in Cebu and maximize its potential.

“DTI has facilitated the forming of the group and making it an official and registered group. It will be responsible to sustain efforts of our pursuit to reinforce the creative industry,” Aldeguer told The Freeman yesterday.

On the other hand, some players in the creative sector in Cebu are anticipating the help to be conducted by “Creative Cebu” campaign, or now the Creative Cebu Council Inc. to push the potential of the industry.

Campaigns Cebu (CAMP-Cebu) general manager and creative director Zen Pastoriza earlier said that if the “Creative Cebu” will start its program in supporting the creative industry here, growth will soon be expected.

In the advertising industry alone, Cebu has yet to develop a good pool of professional agencies, as players are still dispersed, and Cebu market is flooded with informal advertising agency players.

A third party intervention such as the pronounced joint program to be initiated by “Creative Cebu“ campaign and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to help the creative sector here, is considered as a savior tool to maximize the potential of the rich creative talents in Cebu.

Multi-awarded visual artist Siegfredo Rosales Galan echoed Pastoriza’s view, saying there is a need for an active intervention especially from the government in order to develop the creative sector in Cebu.

Sadly, according to Galan, the visual arts industry is the most neglected industry in the Philippines, although the potential is huge.

Galan noted that the Philippine government in general is only supportive to industries where “they can make money.”

Just like the advertising industry, the visual arts sector in Cebu is one of the most “dispersed” industries.

Both Galan and Pastoriza hope that the Creative Cebu Council will be able to come up soon with strategies on how to start up in organization the players.

With this anticipated intervention, Pastoriza hopes that informal advertising or free-lance practitioners will be convinced to professionalize their operations.

Following the declaration of British Council in naming Cebu as the “Creative City”in the Philippines, DTI-CPO provincial office director Nelia F. Navarro said the province has to step-up in professionalizing the industry, and achieve its dream as the legitimate design capital in the Philippines, or in Asia.

By creating a professional business support organization, or the Creative Cebu Council, Navarro said artists, or creative people will be able to learn the ropes of playing the international market, and at the same time constantly upgrading their talents.