Dumaguete pushed as UNESCO creative city

DUMAGUETE CITY – Dumaguete, the provincial capital of Negros Oriental, has been chosen as one of two Philippine endorsements to the 2025 UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of Literature.

Quezon City is the other endorsement under the category of film, according to Nimfa Virtucio, provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Oriental, during a press conference here Friday.

Virtucio said the endorsement “underscores Dumaguete’s rich cultural and literary heritage and aligns with the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) vision of sustainable urban development through creativity”.

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Anton Gabila, DTI-Negros Oriental’s creative industry program manager, said in the same press conference that a technical working group (TWG) comprising representatives from the local government unit and local creatives champions, such as Ian Casocot, are now drawing up the city’s final portfolio for submission in January.

“Dumaguete City is known for many achievements in the field of literature, such as the Silliman University National Writers Workshop, the longest running in the country, and the Silliman University Library, having a huge circulation of some 100,000 volumes of books of various subjects,” Gabila said.

Gabila also cited the many renowned local writers who are globally competitive, such as Casocot, who has received multiple awards in the country and abroad.

Casocot wrote the initial profile submitted to the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO for the designation which was the basis for the endorsement to the UCCN, Gabila explained.

Following the endorsement, the TWG is now finalizing the portfolio, which needs a little “tweaking” for submission to UNESCO in January.

Gabila said if Dumaguete City gets the designation as a UNESCO Creative City for Literature, it will be joining the ranks of Baguio City (crafts and folk art), Iloilo (gastronomy) and Cebu (design).

The endorsement was finalized in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Office of Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher de Venecia, and the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO.

De Venecia authored the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act.

The designation of cities in different categories by the UCCN is done every two years.

Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo said in the media briefer that aside from “bragging rights,” the designation will bolster tourism, expand networking globally, and put Dumaguete City on the map, especially on the creative and cultural aspects.