The Iloilo City Government is eyeing the title “Creative City” from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to boost its tourism industry.
“If we will be identified by UNESCO for our food, I do not know if we can also be identified for our architecture, then probably we get more people to visit Iloilo,” Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said in an interview after a short program welcoming a private consultancy firm Interpublic Group (IPG) on Nov. 7.
The mayor said they have started talking to concerned individuals regarding the plan as he admitted that it is going to be “tedious and difficult process”.
“This will be another feather on the cap of Iloilo City. And I think everyone is working together to make sure that we achieve our goals,” he added.
Venus Navalta, president of IPG Philippines, said they are working with Baguio and other cities to become a UNESCO Creative City.
“When you enter this award-winning body there is a strategy to it. Just like Baguio and Cebu, we will also help you craft your stories so that you become a UNESCO creative story,” she said.
Navalta said aside from food, Iloilo “has so much more to offer”.
“Once it is given to you, you have to continuously level up and show the world that you are worthy of the title of UNESCO Creative City,” she added.
She said vying for the award means support from the people, with the tourism sector at the forefront to attain this.
Treñas said earlier they talked with the firm on how they can “professionally” brand the highly urbanized city.
“At the moment we are pushing for Iloilo to become a very strong MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) destination. If we strengthen the brand of Iloilo, it will complement efforts of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to promote Iloilo” the mayor said.
He added that the city government needs to support DOT initiatives so that aside from MICE, other visitors will visit Iloilo.
Navalta said they are done with their research and they came to Iloilo on Thursday for immersion and validate their initial thoughts about the place.
“We have to find something unique that will make you stand out. Already we know that there are many unique qualities of Iloilo,” she said.
The firm will come up with a proposal to be submitted to the city government, which will then come up with a term of reference (TOR) and subject it to a bidding process.
“All other firms that will be interested can also present and also make their offer and the BAC (bids and awards committee) will finally decide,” the mayor said.
According to the UNESCO website, “cities joining UNESCO Creative Cities Network work together towards a common objective of placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.”
The network has seven creative fields: crafts and folk arts, media arts, film, design, gastronomy, literature and music, its website added.PNA
