PHILIPPINES – JULY 2011 – Cebu City was officially recognised as one of the ASEAN’s Cities of Culture last week, taking its place alongside with Manila and Vigan this year. An awarding ceremony was conducted at the Radisson Blu hotel in Cebu, with Mayor Michael Rama accepting a certificate from the ASEAN Ministers of Culture and the Arts, formalizing the announcement.
Margot Osmeña, a Cebu City Councillor, told the Inquirer that the Philippines is “the first country in Asia to be given this honor,” beginning with Clark, Pampanga in 2010. Osmeña went on to tell the Manila Bulletin that this appointment will aid in the promotion of “not only [Cebu’s] tourist spots, including it’s historical cites, but also the Cebuanos’ creative talents”. Furthermore, according to Olivia Palala, the executive director of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ office of ASEAN Affairs, Cebu’s rich history and culture, as well as its thriving urban and artistic developments “all make Cebu deserving of such recognition”.
Nestor Jardin of the Cultural Centre of the Philippines told the Philippine Star that the recognition of Cebu as an ASEAN City of Culture would aid in the marketing of the city as a tourism and creative industries destination in Southeast Asia.
To celebrate and promote the declaration, a series of events will take place in Cebu during the following months, such as artistic showcases, exhibitions, and lectures and forums on ASEAN arts and literature. According to the Philippine Star, the city will receive minimal financial support from the ASEAN Ministers of Culture and the Arts.
Although the Philippines is the first Asian country to receive such recognitions, it is by no means the first in the world to be called a City of Culture. In 1985, the European Commission has recognized cities all over Europe with the Capitals of Culture initiative, which has specific criteria that must be fulfilled by the cities awarded within the year that they are given.
According to studies by the European Commission, the Capitals of Culture initiative has aided in the regeneration of cities and their culture, as well as raising the cities’ international profile and enhancing the image of the city in the eyes of its inhabitants. The success of the initiative can be seen in various fields, most notably in tourism, economy, marketing and infrastructure, with many cities setting up commemorative establishments such as the University Network of European Capitals of Culture in Pécs, Hungary.
With the success of the European Commission’s initiative, the Philippines is challenged with meeting a high standard over the next two years in terms of cultural, artistic, urban and industrial development. But can the Philippines meet these standards? Financially, it is a huge undertaking as the organization of events and campaigns to promote trade, tourism and Philippine culture is paramount to the success of the ASEAN City of Culture initiative. With the overwhelming success of this initiative in Europe and the economic superiority of many of the European cities selected to participate, it seems as though there is a chance that the Philippines will fall short. However, with the rich culture and history of the Philippines and the strong creativity of its inhabitants, meeting the European standard will be a positive challenge, yielding incredible results.
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