Baguio City marks 2nd year of UNESCO recognition with iBagiw fest

MANILA, Philippines— The city of Baguio celebrated the second anniversary of its recognition as a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Creative Cities Network with an ongoing 2019 iBagiw Festival.

The festival is named after “iBagiw,” which literally means “someone from Baguio” or “something made in Baguio.”

In 2017, UNESCO hailed Baguio City, the summer capital, as Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art.

In view of this, the iBagiw showcases over 500 creations of local artists and artisans housed in the ruins of the Diplomat Hotel, the circa 1913 Dominican retreat house in the newly-inaugurated Heritage Hill Nature Park with an overview of the City some 5000 feet above sea level.

The festival was opened on Saturday with a ceremony led by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

It was organized by the Baguio City local government and the Department of Tourism-Cordillera Administrative Region Office, Tourism Promotions Board, and the Baguio Arts and Creative Council.

“iBagiw Festival is borne of the artful creativeness and prideful sense of community here in Baguio City in which the sprawling heritage site is put to a most ideal use and the nobler purpose of supporting the arts, as well as boosting local tourism,” Jovita Ganongan, Officer-in-Charge Director of the DOT-CAR said.

“We can’t wait to establish Baguio City as the Arts Capital in Southeast Asia and we will welcome artists from other countries to participate in iBagiw as guest participants next year,” Magalong said.

The DOT said Baguio City is envisioned as a major creative arts hub in the Southeast Asian region. 

“Baguio City is dramatically living up to its title as the Philippines' first UNESCO Creative City as collective creativity literally soared to greater heights, turning the Dominican Heritage Hill Nature Park into a meaningful venue of this year's celebration of the second anniversary of the prestigious recognition,” she said. 

Last October, UNESCO hailed Cebu as Creative City of Design. —Rosette Adel