Rama to encourage Cebu’s youth to be more creative and innovative

Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines–Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael “Mike” Rama said that the city will encourage the youth to be more creative and innovative as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) named Cebu City as a creative city of design.

The vice mayor, who is the chairman of the Cebu City Council committee on tourism, said Cebu is known for world-class talents such as Kenneth Cobonpue but there are still many untapped potentials in the city, especially in its students, whose talents in art and innovation can help better the city’s systems.

“Cebuanos are very creative. Look at our city, the buildings, the products, everything. It is embossed with Cebuano creativity,” he said.

The Unesco released a list of 66 cities all over the world that work together towards a common mission, which is to place creativity and the creative economy at the core of urban developments to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.

This mission is one with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In its website, Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay was quoted saying: “All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy. This favors political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generations.”

Rama said he will be proposing to build a creativity room, perhaps at the Cebu City Public Library (CCPL), that would encourage art and creativity among the younger generation.

Rama said this room would provide avenue for the youth to have a space where their ideas can thrive and expand.

The vice mayor hopes to propose the measure in the city council soon to make it into reality and ensure that creative innovation will continue on to the next generation of Cebuanos. /bmjo