Salceda pushes for Build, Build, Build in creative industries

A leader of the House of Representatives has filed a measure to push for Build, Build, Build in creative industries.

House Committee on Ways and Means chairperson and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said the “future of Philippine exports is service-based industries, including culture.”

“Culture is resilient. It’s crisis-proof. When one aspect of it, such as tourism, suffers, other alternatives such as art and digital content can emerge. That’s why the creative industries are an excellent hedge against economic crises,” Salceda said.

Salceda underscored the need for the Philippines to make investments in its cultural industries like what Korea did in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, “as a way to diversify their then-manufacturing dependent economy.”

South Korea’s creatives sector contributes around 2% of the economy, and also boosts Korean tourism, with around 55.3% of all inbound tourism being related to its creative sector – best exemplified by the Hallyu wave or K-culture.

He said the K-Pop was one of the most resilient sectors of the Korean economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. One group alone, BTS, contributed $4.9 billion to the Korean economy during the pandemic.

“For perspective, this is half the entire pre-pandemic tourist economy of the Philippines,” Salceda added.

Salceda, who is an adviser to the Incheon Metropolitan City, which is South Korea’s equivalent of Bonifacio Global City, said the Philippines lacks a framework supporting creatives.

Under Salceda’s House Bill 10613 the Build, Build, Build for the Creative Industries will be created as the roadmap for public support in the sector.

Planning towards infrastructure programs for the creatives sector will also be undertaken both at the national and local levels.

The proposal also creates a National Creative Industries Infrastructure Audit to “identify existing government facilities and infrastructure that are essential or highly significant to the creative industries,” and to determine whether to repair or replace these structures.

“One model for excellent cultural infrastructure restoration is the Metropolitan Theater (MET) which is now back to its old glory. Once people are more comfortable with crowds, I expect that to be the country’s leading venue for avant-garde art and culture. It will be a success story,” the solon added.

Salceda pushes for Build, Build, Build in creative industries
Source: Philippines Clips