About the City of Pines
There’s nothing like a cold, breezy day in Baguio City—especially for creatives and Nestled in the mountains of Cordillera, Baguio City is a home and refuge for locals and visitors alike. It’s a breeding ground for business and a beacon of creativity in Northern Luzon. Despite it being located in the mountains, it’s a highly urbanized city on its own and features a bustling community. Over the years, the City serves as a landmark place for intimate celebrations, vacations, and gatherings that bring families and friends closer.
Baguio was established as an American base back (hill station) in the 1900s and eventuallydeveloped into a city over time. Because of this, Baguio has become somewhat like a melting pot of different cultures and continues to do so until now. From workers to students, the city brings them all together in harmony.
Now, the cool climate and the various tourist attractions aren’t the only things making Baguio the highlight of Northern Luzon. In February 2018, the city was formally named as part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Creative Cities of the world. Baguio is a part of the 64 cities from 44 countries that have been assigned the title by UNESCO.
The city is home to impressive art installations, buildings that exude modern artistry, and various creative shops that supports artists from all walks of life. Baguio’s Creative Cities Council aims to give ample exposure to the silver crafts industry, weaving, wood carving, and cultural performance, and literature that’s widely practiced and seen all over Baguio.
Partner that with the different landmarks and new places that have sprung up since Baguio’s modernization started a couple of years ago, vacations and quality time will definitely mean more than it ever did in Baguio City. That’s what makes it more than a city. It’s a home. Everyone’s home—creatives and non-creatives alike.
A Warm Message From
Secretary - General Lila Ramos Shahani
Philippine National Commission for UNESCO
I am delighted to be celebrating this historic moment in your beloved city. I remember being fresh from university graduation in the late 80s and joining the CCP’s Museo ng Kalinangang Pilipino for my first job. During my stint with the CCP, we came up to Baguio to attend the famous Baguio Arts Festival—I believe it was in 1990?—back when Roberto Villanueva, Pepito Bosch, Santi Bose, Kidlat Tahimik, Laida Lim and many others were the lifeblood of the festival’s production. It was my first time to experience that ethereal feeling of being here, surrounded by the lush green environment that the people of Baguio call home—with its cultural richness and its vibrant arts community—many of whom I am happy to call my friends. And so when I heard that Baguio was designated a UNESCO Creative City, I was genuinely thrilled by the news, although not at all surprised. Baguio is, and has always been, a Creative City. This prestigious designation is not only an honor for the city alone, but a triumph for the Philippines and the creative communities throughout the country. And so here I am to share your milestone and your joy.
As a point of confluence between culture and commerce, cities like Baguio play a significant role in the flourishing of creativity and inclusivity. The state of our cities—transport and communication systems, creative industries, infrastructure and urban planning, education and healthcare, waste and water management, and disaster risk reduction—gives us a broader picture of where we are and how much farther we need to go on the road to sustainable development. The formation of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) revolves around the basic premise of the United Nations about cities as catalysts of the creative economy—where art and cultural practice generate livelihoods–an idea extended andsolidified through Sustainable Development Goal 11: Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. UCCN aims to be a collaborative platform where cities with creative industries can share best practices, build on each other’s capacities, and find ways for mutual cooperation in the presence of developmental challenges. At present, 180 members from around 60 countries comprise the Network, which covers seven creative fields: crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts, and music. As we all know, Baguio City is the first-ever Philippine city to be designated as a UNESCO Creative City for crafts and folk art. In fact, it is presently one of the six UNESCO Creative Cities in Southeast Asia, along with Bandung and Pekalongan in Indonesia, Chiang Mai and Phuket in Thailand, and Singapore. Soon and through everyone’s help, we will be adding more Philippine cities to the list, as a means of showcasing true Philippine resourcefulness and creativity. The UCCN operates in the spirit of connectivity, resiliency, and sustainable development. As the Philippines strengthens its programmes to foster creative industries in line with the Philippine Development Plan, the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) plays a very active role. The UCCN serves as an open door to engage the general public and provide due recognition to the individuals, groups, and organizations that keep creativity alive across the country’s sprawling urban centers. It aims to be a network where cities across the globe can share best practices and learn from each other’s successes.
Despite being a relatively new UNESCO initiative, the Creative Cities Networkhas already provided assistance to hundreds of cities since its inception in 2004. Just being associated with UNESCO allows a city to gain more public attention and thereby raise awareness of the implications of a Creative City designation. For instance, a 2016 study by Constanze Gathen of the Universität der Bundeswehr München on various Creative Cities of Gastronomy revealed that membership in the UNESCO Creative City Network has two particular benefits: branding and sharing. Gathen noted that a designation has resulted in improved internal collaboration among the stakeholders, increased national support for member cities, and a rising awareness of the importance of the cultural asset in question. More importantly, it allowed for greater preservation of cultural traditions, more support for sustainable development, and the promotion of cross- cultural exchanges in general. When Torino, Italy was nominated a Creative City title for design in 2014, the city launched a series of initiatives that placed Torino at the heart of global design. In 2015, Torino organized the first “Torino Design of the City” and hosted three other UNESCO Creative Cities: Helsinki in Finland, Saint-Etienne in France, and Fabriano, another Italian city. Closer to home, the Creative City designation of Bandung in Indonesia has led to the formal establishment of eight urban villages as creative villages. Bandung’s local government successfully launched several initiatives such as new centres, industrial areas, and research and development programmes. Through the Regional Development Acceleration Program (PIPPK) and Melati credit system, Bandung’s actors and creative industries are provided with financial support and opportunities to develop their art. Going forward, we welcome Baguio City’s proposals as a new member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. I am personally looking forward to the revival of the Baguio Arts Festival through a proposed offshoot, the Baguio City Creative Arts Festival. This endeavor will definitely provide more opportunities for Baguio’s creative community to be recognized at a wider scale. We also anticipate the formalization of the Baguio City Creative Council as a means to strengthen the legal framework and institutionalize the roles of various stakeholders. Finally, we implore that the community be front and center of this Council.
A UNESCO designation offers endless possibilities. Given Baguio’s unparalleled cultural heritage and coupled with strong political will, we strongly believe that Baguio will cement the future of sustainable development in this country. As the first UNESCO- designated Creative City in the Philippines, what Baguio initiates and implements will surely be seen as benchmarks for other cities vying to be part of the Network. I sincerely hope that this will be the start of a wonderful relationship between UNESCO, the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, and the city and people of Baguio.
Matago-tago tako am-in! (Mabuhay tayong lahat!)