British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils with Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez*
Bacolod City with its thriving community of filmmakers and the launch of the Bacolod Film Festival last year is gearing up to become a creative city for film, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Benitez shared the city’s goal after meeting with British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils, and British Council Country Director Lotus Postrado during their courtesy visit at the Bacolod City Government Center on Tuesday.
“They have expressed full support as we work to position Bacolod as a creative city for film and working towards becoming a prospective UNESCO Creative City,” the mayor said in a statement.
A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) creative city is “a city placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of its development plan at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.”
Created in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, currently comprising 350 cities worldwide, promotes cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
During Beaufils’ visit, the city’s creative industry journey was presented by Frances Mae Llamas, head of the Department of Local Economic Development and Investment Promotions.
The presentation highlighted the initiatives of Bacolod “in transforming itself beyond The City of Smiles into a thriving hub for creativity, innovation, and film excellence.”
“In Bacolod, we are dedicated in fostering creativity, innovation, and cultural advancement,” Benitez said.
On the same day, stakeholders participated in the “Exploring Creative Placemaking Praxis for Negros Occidental” seminar at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall.
This is also in line with the national government’s agenda to put a spotlight on creative industries,
William Chamberlain, director of Creative Wick, and representatives of the British Council engaged local artists, cultural practitioners, academe, and tourism stakeholders in discussions and workshops aimed at fostering sustainable growth in the creative sector.
The event was hosted by the British Council, in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Negros Cultural Foundation, Inc., Negros Occidental province, and the Department of Trade and Industry.*PNA