ECCP: Strong creative sector to curb exodus of designers

CEBU, Philippines - The European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) has urged the Cebu Creative industry to make a serious move in strengthening and developing the sector as this could possibly curb the rampant exportation of designers.

ECCP executive vice president Henry Schumacher said that the Creative industry in Cebu has a huge potential, but designers, the creative community must put premium in their creations.

Schumacher said the creative sector must start to cultivate the culture of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), what remains to be the problem now he said is “we are not respecting enough the IPR,” and some designers, or creative individuals do not put “premium” to their creations.

Schumacher said Cebu has so many world-class creative-communities not only in furniture, fashion, but also in Information Technology (IT). He mentioned that during his visit at Bigfoot, he was impressed with the brilliant creative young minds doing excellent jobs in producing innovations, software designs, among others.

Developing the creative industry in Cebu is part of ECCP-Cebu Business Council’s seven priority sectors that will be given attention by the group this year.

Schumacher said there is a need for the industry to be given utmost attention, especially in Cebu, wherein the best creative people are.

He believes that the Philippines in general can well leverage in designing across industries, may it be fashion, furniture, fashion accessory, IT, interior design, graphics, engineering, and others.

Strengthening this creative expertise in Cebu in particular would put a stop to the exodus of good designers going overseas to look for higher-paying jobs.

If the creative sector will start to standardize their talent fees or put premium in their creations, what they will earn in their homeland will be comparable to what they will be getting if they go abroad to look for employment.

Meanwhile, in order to sustain the “Creative Cebu” campaign, the creative community here with the support of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-Cebu Provincial Office) has officially created a body that will be responsible for the development of the industry.

According to Jay P. Aldeguer, one of the prime movers of the “Creative Cebu” movement and known as the creative entrepreneur nexus in the Philippines, the Creative Cebu Council Inc., was created with the help of the DTI-CPO (Cebu Provincial Office) in its 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.

DTI-CPO provincial director Nelia F. Navarro said that together with support from different institutions like German Technical Development (GTZ), CBI-Netherlands, among others, Cebu will have its own organization of creative people and efforts to group the creative talents together is currently ongoing.

“We will include different sectors in the creative industry, including visual arts, publishing, designs, and others,” Navarro said.

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