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 Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1

A Profiling Study of the Creative Industry Artists of

Baguio City, the First Creative City in the Philippines
Renen Szilardo C. de Guzman1

ABSTRACT
Research among 56 creative industries' artists was conducted to serve
as a foundation in creating and implementing plans for Baguio Creative City.
This study evaluated artists' creative and business dimensions to determine the
experiences and challenges they encounter. Generally, artists participate in the
creative economy where the art market thrives. Artists, who do not consider
themselves good businessmen, encountered typical enterprises' challenges:
finding customers, marketing products, managing finances, and operations.
Their most pressing concerns were limited government support and lack of
creative spaces. There is a need to develop the creative and entrepreneurial skills
among artists and the city’s infrastructure. It is recommended that the local
government establish creative spaces to showcase artists’ works and
performances while serving as a marketplace. Formal registration of artists is
advised to professionalize their roles and achieve better representation in public
policy together with private interest groups, universities, and the government.

Keywords: creative industry, enterprise profiling, creative economy, creative cities, creative profiling

Introduction
In 2017, the city of Baguio was
inducted to the Creative Cities Network, a
membership of cities with industries fueled
and driven by creativity together with 64 new
cities from 44 countries (Baguio Tourism and
Special Events Office [BTSEO] n.d.). This
network, under the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), aims to develop
harmonious collaboration with and among
cities that consider creativity and innovation
as an essential and critical element towards
sustainable and inclusive urban development
(Creative Cities Network n.d).
Creative cities were formally
institutionalized in 2004 by UNESCO
through the Creative Cities Network. Since
then, the network has been growing (see
Figure 1). As of 2019, a total of 264 creative
cities among seven creative fields have been
recognized (UNESCO 2018, Ramirez 2018).
The entire network is composed of cities
belonging to the crafts and folk arts (20%),
music (19%), design (16%), literature (16%),
gastronomy (15%), film (7%), and media arts
(7%). Baguio City was declared as a creative
city under the crafts and folk arts discipline.
Creative Industries, Creative Economies,
and Creative Cities
Even before UNESCO had
established the Creative Cities Network, the
concepts of the creative industry and creative
economy were already being utilized among
various literature and local governments.
These terms emerged from the strategic
opportunity to look at culture and creativity
not only as a cluster in the economy but also
as a driver of growth.
Author’s Information
1
Assistant Professor, Department of
Agribusiness Management and
Entrepreneurship, College of Economics and
Management (CEM), University of the Philippines
Los Baños (UPLB)
rcdeguzman5@up.edu.ph

Copyright © 2020, the Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareALike 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org /licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) which
permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original
work is attributed.
34 de Guzman

Number of Cities Inducted 250

200

150

100

50

0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Year Declared
Crafts and Folk Art Music Design Literature Gastronomy Film Media Arts

Figure 1. Creative cities census per creative field (2004-2019) as published by UNESCO

The earliest attribution of the creative sector can be traced back to 1948 when
Adorno and Horkheimer coined the term cultural industries which pertain to entities that
create, reproduce, and distribute work related to culture (Section for the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions n.d., United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] 2013). These are
industries involved in the production and consumption of value offerings with either symbolic
or expressive elements (UNDP 2013) which are related to heritage and tradition (Culture
Partnership Australia n.d.).
The term creative industries, on the other hand, was formally defined by United
Kingdom’s Department for Culture, Media, and Sports (DCMS) in 1998 as “industries which
have their origin in individual creativity, skill, and talent and which have a potential for wealth
and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property” (DCMS
2001, BOP Consulting 2010, Villar 2010). In a nutshell, businesses that are rooted in creativity
as its core are considered creative industries (Parrish n.d.). While cultural industries are heritage
and tradition related, creative industries further widen the scope into covering applications of
arts and creative disciplines which include innovation (Culture Partnership Australia n.d.).
Creative industries encompass but are not limited to the following fields: advertising,
architecture, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, video, photography, music, performing arts,
publishing, research and development, software, computer games, electronic publishing, and
TV and radio (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development [UNCTAD] n.d.)
The creative economy, according to Howkins, pertains to economic systems where
value is based on originality and creativity (Howkins as cited by Culture Partnership Australia
n.d.). Howkins used this nomenclature to cluster entities, industries, and activities which use
creativity as the main input, instead of the traditional land, labor, and capital (Howkins 2001).
Furthermore, according to the UNCTAD, creative economy, among its many definitions, is
the “sum of all the parts of the creative industries, including trade, labor, and production.”
This means that the term creative economy denotes not only the scope of physical art and
culture products but also the intangible aspects of the transactions among these products
(UNDP 2013, Howkins 2001). With these definitions, UNCTAD contextualized the analogy
that creative industries are the components and the lifeblood of the creative economy
(UNCTAD n.d.).
Operationalizing these terms, products, and services of arts and culture are
considered cultural industries, which is further expanded to creative industries covering the
wide array of products and services rooted in creativity and innovation. The system by which
the products, services, and industries interact with each other is the creative economy.
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
35
Creative Cities and the Creative Cities Network
Recognizing the value of cultural industries, creative industries, and creative
economies are relevant and necessary. Economies in the world are generally operating and
measured on a per-country basis but treating the creative economy on this scale might be hard
to manage. With the nature and diversity of creativity in nations, it is absolute that a country
focused on a single creative economy does not and will not exist. A country will host and
home a multitude of diverse creative economies under its governance (Howkins as cited by
Mercado and Tolentino 2018).
The cases of Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and Broadway suggested that the success of
the creative economy was achieved when inter-related creative industries co-locate in a
geographic area where they could reap the benefits from competition and collaboration. There
is a perspective that developing creative industries and creative economies were most effective
when strategies and policies were enacted at a city level (Howkins as cited by Mercado and
Tolentino 2018). Hence, this notion served as a strong rationale for the concept of the Creative
Cities Network.
Creative cities are specific local geographic units that have identified and considered
creativity as a strategic factor in development (Creative Cities Network n.d.). These cities,
which have a rich pool of creative individuals and creative industries, commit to placing their
creative resources at the core of their development plans.
The Creative Cities Network was institutionalized by UNESCO in 2004 to promote
cooperation and to learn from the experiences of each other. Members of the network are
unified on a common goal of “placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their
development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level”
(UNESCO Creative Cities Network n.d.).
Candidate cities apply to become part of the network allowing them to be subjected
to an evaluation based on the commitment and capacity of the city to contribute to the vision
and objectives of the network (UNESCO 2009). The application includes proof that creative
industries thrive in the city, together with a four-year plan which is focused on enhancing
them. A city can apply on either one of the seven creative fields identified as crafts and folk
arts, music, design, literature, gastronomy, film, and media arts.
Criticisms and Praises of the Creative Cities Network
Though evaluations of the Creative Cities Network were limited in terms of
literature, the network itself has received its share of criticisms and praises.
Internally, the recent exponential growth of cities being inducted was seen to
disengage members, who raised concerns about the network’s credibility. Definitions of
creative industries being used were unsettled and are not aligned with what is being used by
UNCTAD and stakeholders specializing in creative industries and economies. Aside from
definitions, the seven creative fields were seen to be limited and unaligned with various models
in creative industries (Landry n.d.). Also, since being part of the network is based on both the
status and the city's plan for it, the implementation and sustainability of such a plan are not
ensured. Lastly, being awarded as a creative city may serve only as a title and recognition as it
is (Landry n.d.).
One criticism about the Creative Cities Network was the lack of a prescribed
performance metrics or indicators that assess the specific profile, status, achievements, and
milestones of network members themselves. Aside from the availability of data at the city level,
various definitions and typologies of the scope and classification of creative industries make it
challenging for such measurement to be conducted. This is unless the network specifies and
implements a standard performance indicator which they would require from the cities
periodically as part of their membership. In 2018, Rodrigues and Franco proposed a
36 de Guzman

multidimensional performance measurement model among creative cities yet until the period
of the documentation of this research, it has not yet been implemented.
Meanwhile, membership to the network opens the avenues of cooperation and
sharing of best practices being implemented by other creative cities. In terms of image, being
branded as a creative city could attract people towards investing and transacting with the city.
This label could further contribute wealth to the city itself (Rels 2008).
Being part of the network also catalyzes the paradigm shift towards recognizing the
city's creative assets. Lastly, as the government is required to implement the four-year plan
stated in their application, developmental efforts are expected, else the network membership
would be revoked, and the city is de-designated (Landry n.d.).
Creative Cities and Creative Industries Cases
Even before Baguio City has been inducted to the network, various cities have been
on track in developing their creative cities as well. Cities, whether already inducted or not in
the network, experienced and attributed economic growth upon promoting and developing
their respective cultural and creative industries.
Copenhagen experienced economic growth, employment generation, and
entrepreneurial development which led to being more competitive (Bayliss 2007). The creative
music city of Fruitillar reaped benefits from the creative industry-induced, tourism-led
economic development (Camacho 2020). The prospected creative city of Penang (Khoo et al.
2015, Khoo et al. 2018) and creative industries in Indonesia also shared the same experiences
(Kasiyan 2019). Collectively, the economic prosperity experienced by cities has influenced and
motivated stakeholders and policymakers in Europe, North America, Africa, and Southeast
Asia to invest and have a strategic focus on cultural and creative industries (Evans 2009).
These creative industry-led gains were achieved through the efforts of both public
and private stakeholders. Policies implemented by cities were commonly towards attracting
creative human capital, which includes not only those in the formal economy but freelancers
as well. Copenhagen (Bayliss 2007), Penang (Khoo et al. 2018), and Indonesia (Kasiyan 2019)
have relied on this, together with investments in educational infrastructures. Aside from
having a good pool of creative people, Scott (2006) noted that attracting human capital emits
positive externalities that spill over into the economy. With the seen benefits, Scott further
emphasized that policies should not only focus on attracting creative human capital but also
extend towards mobilization which can be achieved through the development of necessary
infrastructures.
The public sector has implemented various strategies to ensure that infrastructures
present among their vicinities were nurturing the creative industries. Some strategies included
deregulating spaces for creative events and businesses that allowed creatives to have open and
public spaces for their arts and crafts, respectively (Bayliss 2007). Building creative and
innovation hubs were also seen as effective both in attracting human capital and in supporting
business enterprises. Information infrastructure was also seen to contribute to the
development of creative industries like in the case of Penang, where the government
implemented an internet-for-all program.
Consistent with achieving sustainable development, ensuring livability from the
urbanization should also be taken as a priority (Khoo et al. 2018). Looking systematically at
the innovations in San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Washington D.C., Dublin, Hong Kong,
and Bangalore, external environment quality was seen to be important in generating
innovations (We 2005).
The importance of educational institutions being aligned with the ideals of the
creative sector should also be noted. Investing in the perspective of protecting the culture and
creative industry may avoid the dangers of commodification, which the creative economy is
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
37
very prone to (Kasiyan 2019). Due to the profit-driven dimension of enterprises, creative
outputs, art, in particular, may tend to be treated as an object rather than a subject. With this
in consideration, educational institutions would play a role in protecting cultural and creative
vulnerabilities.
The importance of both human capital and infrastructure were well-noted among
creative industries. Many cities in East Asia, who wished to develop their creative economy,
tended to invest and focus more on infrastructure development. Though such may attract
creative human capital, infrastructure initiative has often resulted in underinvestment on skills
and talent development. Both human capital and infrastructures were considered important.
In a technological analogy, both hardware and software should be the priorities in
policymaking.
Talking about policymaking, the effectiveness depends on the multi-sectoral
approach and the integral commitment of the government. When the personal and political
agenda of the policymakers dominated, cities experienced hollow programs for the
communities and enterprises involved (Evans 2009). Hence, in crafting developmental and
regulatory plans of the city, representatives from the creative industries should be involved
(Camacho 2020). This will ensure that policies are beneficial not only to the city but to the
creative industries as well. Aside from infrastructure and human capital policies, intellectual
property and copyright protection were seen to be fundamental to be in place as these are
means in putting economic value and ownership to innovations (Evans 2009, World
Intellectual Property Organization [WIPO] n.d.).
Aside from the government, the private sector also helps boost the initiatives in the
creative economy. The case of the creative music city of Frutillar showed the value of private
foundations in creative economy development as support from the local government was
limited (Camacho 2020).
Universities also play a big role in policymaking and creative economy development.
The cities of Boston and San Diego were testaments on the functions of universities as
catalysts for innovation. The educational institutions in these cities contributed well to the
creative economy by generating cutting edge research, forging innovative industry
collaborations, and supplying quality human resources needed by industries (We 2005).
Among these pieces of literature, Pratt (2008) has provided a summary and
contextualization of what creative cities are. According to him, they are “cities based on
generating new ideas, especially those that impact social and cultural life.” Cases from various
cities showed that this can be achieved by creating a vibrant ecosystem through investments
in both creative infrastructure and human capital. Policies on protecting intellectual property,
developing human resources, and supporting entrepreneurial activities should be in place and
be crafted through the collaboration of the public and private sector, including universities
and creative industries themselves.
The learnings from the experiences of creative industries and creative cities were
summarized through a framework showing the gains of a city in developing their creative
industries through a creative city plan crafted through a participatory policy-making process
(see Figure 2).
38 de Guzman

Creative Industries Creative Cities Plan Development

Human Capital Infrastructure Economic

Existing Attracting Developing Mobilizing

Innovation Deregulated Economic Information Sustainability
Creative Hubs Spaces Spaces Infrastructure

Industries Intellectual Property Protection

Employment

Entrepreneurial Growth

Participatory Policy Making

Creative Industry Players Public Sector Private Stakeholders

Figure 2. Creative City Development Framework developed from Creative Cities and Creative
Industries Cases

Creative Industries and Creative Cities Efforts in the Philippines

In the Philippines, Baguio City and Cebu City were declared as creative cities. The
former was declared as the 1st creative city in 2017 under the crafts and folk arts discipline
(UNESCO n.d., Keith 2019), while the latter was acknowledged in 2019 under the design
discipline (UNESCO n.d., CNN 2019). Efforts towards enhancing the creative industries
have been implemented in the country. Both government and non-government stakeholders
have been exerting efforts in developing this emerging discipline in the country.
The creative economy is slowly getting traction in the country. The government has
been realizing the contributions and potentials of investing in the creative industries. Estimates
of the contribution of creative industries in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
ranges from 3.5% to 13.8% (Del Prado 2014). In the 2017 to 2022 Philippine Development
Plan, a section on Philippine culture and creativity promotion was included. Momentously,
this was the first time that culture and the arts were included in the national development plan.
This plan incorporated investments which were seen to boost the creative economy in the
country (National Economic and Development Authority [NEDA] 2017).
An interagency board has been established to focus on the creative industries in the
country. Among its initiatives are to conduct mapping of creative industries to provide both
quantitative and qualitative data where decision-making and strategy formulation will be based.
All of these efforts aimed to develop the creative economy (British Council 2017, NCCA
2018).
The creative industries have caught the radar of the legislators in the government as
well. Senate Bill No. 1064, also known as the Creative Industries Act, was proposed in 2010
which aimed to support and promote the creative industries in the country through the
creation of a Creative Industries Development Council (Villar 2010). It was amended and
approved as Republic Act (RA) 10557 or the Philippine Design Competitiveness Act of 2013.
However, the scope narrowed specifically on design with limited focus on the development
of creative industries. In 2010, the House of Representatives proposed to the congress the
House Bill No. 4692 or the Creative Industries Charter of 2019 to further develop creative
industries (Creative Economy of the Philippines [CECP] n.d., House of Representatives 2019).
From the private sector, the Creative Economy Council of the Philippines (CECP)
is an advocacy group instituted to recognize and promote Filipino creativity, creative
industries, and creative cities (CECP 2018). CECP has been active in promoting creative
industries by holding creative economy discussions and creating Creative Industries: A Policy
Brief on the Philippine Creative Industries (Mercado and Tolentino 2018).
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
39
Non-government organizations have been active in participating and promoting
creative industries. The British Council in the Philippines has been constantly spearheading
efforts on creative industries’ development in the country. In 2008, together with Tom
Fleming Creative Consultancy, the British Council released a recommendation and a
questionnaire towards the conduct of profiling creative cities in the country as an output from
a multi-sectoral focused group discussion (FGD). The questionnaire was developed as a
standard data collection tool among cities in the Philippines, which includes the following
information: creative industry player's profile, business profile, business input, and output
networks, and business challenges and concerns (Fleming 2008).
These efforts aspired to promote the creative industries and provide an enabling
environment for businesses, the workforce, and the value chain of those who were part of it.
Also, these public and private organizations recognized that a baseline creative mapping is
necessary to be conducted to measure and monitor the value and contributions of these
industries to the Philippine economy (CECP 2018, Villar 2010, Rosales 2019).
Baguio’s Creative Industries
Baguio City applied for the Creative Cities Network in 2017 since it can embody the
ideals of the network together with the opportunities it brings to the development of the city.
This application was driven by a desire of the local government unit (LGU) and its
stakeholders for Baguio City to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth through the
development of its cultural and creative industries (BTSEO 2018). From a creative cities'
perspective, Baguio City recognizes new opportunities that the metropolis can invest in.
Baguio City has long been known to be a tourist destination and a trading center of Luzon,
yet unknown to many, and even among its locals, the city itself houses a wide array of creative
industries.
Though the concept of creative cities is still new in the consideration of the public
sector and the LGU, the proponents were aware of the strong presence of artists and artisans
who are the core of the creative industries. Evidence of such is seen in the talents of people
and the quality of works they produce and stage. Ironically, artists, LGUs, and community
members have just started to recognize opportunities present in developing these creative
industries when Baguio City was inducted as a Creative City.
Baguio City has numerous artists in different fields of visual arts, music, dance, and
theater arts. It is a home, professionally and geographically, of the two national artists namely,
Kidlat Tahimik and Ben Cabrera or BenCab. Various visual artist groups also exist such as Tam-
awan Village Artists, Pasa-Kalye, Ili-likha, and Baguio Arts Guild, not to mention independent
artists practicing among themselves. In terms of music, there are orchestras, ensembles, and
chorales known for performing regularly in and out of Baguio including, the University of
Cordillera Chorale, Saeng Ya Kasay, University of Baguio Chamber Orchestra, and Tinig
Amianan. Baguio City also has its own set of artists and bands who produce music representing
their indigenous culture. Dance and theater groups also thrive among schools and private
studios like Ballet Baguio and the renowned Baguio Metamorphosis.
In terms of products, Baguio is a home to silver crafts, basketry, weaving, and wood
carving which designs are inspired by its indigenous culture. Ibay’s, Pilak, and Tawid are the
established creators of silver crafts, while Narda’s, Easter Weaving Room, and Winaca are the
popular loom-weaving enterprises. Meanwhile, the stretch of Asin Road showcases wood
crafts.
With its rich resources of artists and artisans, it can be concluded that even before
the application of Baguio City in the Creative Cities Network, an industry fueled and driven
by creativity already exists, yet the potential is unrecognized, untapped, and unorganized.
40 de Guzman

The application and approval of the network served both as an opportunity and a
challenge for Baguio City to focus on its creative industries. This application, which includes
a commitment of implementing the four-year plan revolving in including creativity and the
creative industries in the core strategies of the city, needs to be translated from a mere strategic
plan to an operational plan. Thus, the public office and key creative organizing body need to
layout strategic and operational plans for the industry and its players.
In 2019, Baguio City issued Executive Order No. 161 which aimed to institutionalize
the Baguio Creative City Council, a private-sector partner group, who shall lead the
development and implementation of plans related to creative cities, together with the public
officials. The flagship activity of the council is the annual conduct of the Baguio Creative
Festival held every November (City Government of Baguio n.d.).
The potentials of Baguio City in developing its creative economy were validated by
being inducted in the Creative Cities Network. The branding catalyzed the shift of strategic
direction towards harnessing its creative economy. Being new in this perspective, the city
needed information and insights to guide legislators both in planning and implementing
programs and policies. It was then seen necessary to conduct baseline research about creative
industries, not only from the arts and culture perspective but in the business operations
dimension as well. Being part and core of the creative economy, the industry should be looked
at both from the creative and economic perspectives.
While efforts in assessing the status of creative industries in the Philippines have
been placed, most of the data and research were on the macro scale. This was notably due to
the unavailability of sector-specific data and the nature of creative industries in terms of its
labor composition. As acknowledged by Fleming (2008), creative industries tagging in local
and national statistics were not done, and if it were, scope differs due to the various definitions
of creative industries. Creative industries are mostly composed of independent freelancers and
enterprises with less than 20 employees. This labor composition nature allows them to be
unaccounted in statistics being collected. Hence, the conduct of studies among available
statistics would be difficult and would not reflect the actual picture of the creative industries.
With these considerations, data and research relevant to strategic and operational plans are
unavailable and limited, respectively.
The importance of having research reflective of the actual picture of the creative
industries specific to the geographic scope is necessary for crafting strategic and operational
plans. It is significant and relevant to determine the existing status of the creative industries
for the stakeholders to promote, embody, and further enrich the city. Hence, baseline research
must be conducted in Baguio City and baseline data must be generated among the creative
industry players to have a guide and basis for policy-making.
Since the artists and craftsmen are the major drivers in the Creative City of Baguio,
the study generally aimed to evaluate the profile of the artists in the creative city of Baguio to
have a background of the creative industries from their perspective. This study provided
baseline information and insights with a specific focus on the artist as participants of the
creative industries. The perspective of the artists was taken into consideration not only on the
creative side but more importantly on the economic and business aspects as well. This was
relevant, as these players were not only creators of art, but also players in the creative economy
of the city. Information and insights about the status and concerns of artists in the creative
industries are relevant, significant, necessary, and timely. This will aid in promoting,
developing, and sustaining these players which fuel the Creative City of Baguio.
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
41
Methodology
A descriptive research design was employed for the baseline profiling of artists using
Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy’s recommendation as translated in the questionnaire
proposed in his report “The Philippine Creative Economy Toward a Baseline & Programme”
(Flemming 2008).
The questionnaire was one of the outputs from the consultative FGDs among senior
officials from the Department of Trade and Industry - Board of Investment (DTI-BOI),
Intellectual Property Office (DTI-IPO), DTI-Design Center of the Philippines (DTI-DCP),
DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB), Department of Finance (DOF), NEDA,
National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), National Historical Commission of the
Philippines (NHCP), Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA), Bohol Kasing Sining, National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and
the British Council.
The Creative Industries’ Survey questionnaire included the artists’ profile in terms of
their business operations, input and output markets, and the concerns and challenges they
encounter. Provided that the government intends to use the Creative Industries Survey as the
standard questionnaire to profile creative industries among other cities in the Philippines,
minimal adjustments were made to ensure that the study can be comparable in case other cities
will conduct profiling research as well.
Using the questionnaire, a total of 56 artists, who are part of the creative industries
of Baguio City, were interviewed. Snowball sampling was employed since there is no formal
registry of artists' lists available from both the city government and DTI. Data were collected
in the last quarter of 2018 through face-to-face interviews.
Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, Likert scale interpretation, and
content analysis of the open-ended responses.

Results and Discussion

Baguio City Profile
Baguio City, with its cold climate, is considered the summer capital of the Philippines.
This 57.5 km2 city in Northern Luzon is located along with the mountain ranges of Cordillera.
The city is known for its rich harvest of agricultural and horticultural produce, with the latter
being the core of its annual Panagbenga Festival, which means “season of blooming” (City
Government of Baguio n.d.). Aside from the festivities, Baguio City is also a haven for arts
and culture. Aside from two national artists, Kidlat Tahimik and BenCab, Baguio City is a home
for different visual art groups, ensembles, orchestras and chorale, literary writers, and
performing arts groups. Traditional crafts products from the city in the form of weaving, wood
crafts, and silver crafts are common and well-recognized locally and globally. The festivities
and arts & crafts products are proofs of the innate and rich creativity in the area.
Artists’ Profile
The majority of the artists (61%) in the study belonged to the visual arts discipline
(painting sculpture and photography), followed by musicians (14%). Some do performance
arts (13%) such as dance and theater, a few in the field of literature (7%), and the rest in
museum and art management (5%). The majority of the respondents were independent artists
(64%), while the rest either belonged to a team or a collective group such as bands, choirs,
company, etc. (see Table 1). Among individual artists, there were more males than females and
the majority were already middle-aged and older (see Table 2). For artists clustered as groups,
42 de Guzman

who were mainly from the music and performing arts discipline, the average number of
members was more than a dozen (see Table 3).

Table 1: Profile of creative industry artists of Baguio City

No. of Respondents %
Creative Field
Visual Arts 34 61
Music 8 14
Performance 7 13
Literary 4 7
Art Management 3 5
Total 56 100
Classification
Individual Artists 36 64
Artist Groups 20 36
Total 56 100

Table 2: Demographic profile of individual artists of Baguio City

No. of Respondents %
Sex
Male 23 64
Female 13 36
Age
21-30 8 22
31-40 12 33
> 40 16 44
Total 36 100

Table 3: Membership count of artist groups of Baguio City

Average No. of
No. of Members
Members
Creative Field
Visual Arts 29 7
Music 114 23
Performance 107 18
Literary 5 3
Art Management 5 2
Total 260 13

Most of the artists who belonged to the creative industries were identified as informal
players in the creative industries. Almost all artists (86%) were not registered in either the city's
business list or in the trade department. Artists were either unable to consider the procedure
necessary to their operations or were not even actually aware that it was compulsory. The
common rationale for non-registrants was the irregular nature of their work and income and
their perception that they were employed as non-professionals. These prompted a challenge
in the intent of measuring the contribution of creative industries as most of them were not
registered, thus statistics relevant to mapping was neither collected nor quantified formally.
Locating the artists might also be challenging in terms of mapping as more than half
worked at the premises of their homes (54%) and only a few (9%) of them have their studios.
The rest either have been renting a dedicated space (23%) or shared a studio (6%) with other
artists. Even with the nature of informality, a great majority (67%) was committed to various
artists' organizations or groups within and outside the city. These served as their more formal
form of being institutionalized.
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
43
Human capital was seen to be a pivotal factor among creative industries. In the case
of Baguio City, there was a rich resource of human capital, but mobilization remains to be a
challenge. Most artists do not consider themselves as economic participants and part of the
labor force of the city. Moreover, artists have this mental dichotomy and mutual exclusiveness
of creativity and economics. Unless this is addressed by the creative economy, friction, and
cognitive dissonance might be experienced by them. Hence, there is a need to formalize the
profession without being too restrictive. Professional mechanisms in place should be at the
same time nurturing to them.
Business’ Profile
Viewing from the business lens, artists have their respective suppliers and customers
as well. Generally, a great majority of the artists (71%) mainly sourced their materials from
the local market within the city. However, due to the limited availability of quality supplies
such as paints and coloring materials, instruments, and other paraphernalia, the majority of
the artists (55%) resorted to outsourcing these from Manila and nearby provinces from time
to time.
The creative industries have established a market for their art products and
performances in their immediate environment. The majority of the artists (77%) declared that
in the city alone, there were local clients who patronize their artworks, music labels, and
performances. Almost all of them (94%) had penetrated the domestic market and reached
clientele outside the city, especially Metro Manila. Many (42%) also have foreign clients but
these were most likely tourists who patronize their products and performances, as only a few
(20%) had direct connections in exporting their artworks or could stage their performances
outside the country. When asked for a crude estimation of the geographic composition of their
total clientele and audience, a big percentage (39%) was within the city (see Figure 3).

Overseas
(International)
12%
Baguio City
(City)
39%
Philippines
(National)
49%

Figure 3. Geographic composition of the customers and audiences of Baguio artists

Generally, there exists a creative input and output market in Baguio City, where
creative industries already thrive. Baguio City’s creative outputs were patronized within the
region and the international market. Though there were products that reached markets outside
the country, the volume of production was low, and only a few can export directly.
The economics and entrepreneurial dimension of the creative industries were present
in the city, but the efforts were mostly initiated by the artists themselves. Instead of an ideal
scenario for creative cities to have infrastructures that facilitate creation and trade and
exchange, artists were independently operating their industries.
44 de Guzman

Challenges Encountered by Artists

In general, the primary concerns of the artists were related to the support they
receive, or the lack of it, from the government (70%) (see Figure 4). According to them, the
government has limited programs, events, funds, and support systems for artists. Also, they
complained that those who represent them in the public sector, being not artists themselves,
were not aware of the actual needs of the industry. Some artists themselves were even unaware
and have no idea that Baguio City was already included in the network. This scenario provided
evidence about the gaps between the government and artists.
Others were concerned about finding people who would continue (66%) and
appreciate (65%) their art. They have mentioned the disinterest of the generation towards the
creative disciplines. Baguio City, which is not known as a place for arts and art trade (59%),
was also raised as a challenge. The recent network brand it achieved provided a good
opportunity in repositioning Baguio City to being a creative city. Finance-related attributes
were also rated high specifically on activities related to handling (54%) and acquiring finances
(54%). On the other hand, input-related concerns such as petrol (43%), energy cost (40%),
internet speed (45%), raw materials (35%), and logistics (35%) were considered as intermediate
concerns. Lastly, skills-related attributes (22%) were rated low concern which shows that the
city is a true haven for creative manpower. Though the internet was seen to be a concern only
among almost half of the artists, the gains from a stable, fast, and reliable internet is high. It
may expand the market of artists, reach more clients, audience, and patrons, increase
collaboration with the international creative community and explore untapped opportunities
more efficiently. This may also reignite the heritage and cultural cores of translocated
emigrants of Baguio City.

Lack of Government Support

Finding People Interested in Continuing Arts
People’s/ Customer’s Interest in my Art
Baguio’s Image as a Place for Arts & Business
Finding Suitable Premises/ location
Cash Flow Management
Intellectual Property
Access to Finance
Availability of Business Support
Government/ Legal Papers/ Documents
Interest Rates
Internet Speed
Lack of Venue for Showcasing Works
Marketing & Promoting Products/ Services
Petrol/ Diesel Costs
Energy Costs
Lack of Workspace for Creative Business
Lack of Business Knowledge/ Skills
Transportation and Logistics
Raw Materials and Suppliers
Finding New Business
Pricing Mechanism for Products/ Services
Regulation and Red Tape
Staff Retention
Competition in Your Market
Skills Shortage/ Finding Staff

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not At All Not Very Somewhat Very Extremely

Attribute Categorization
Serious Serious Serious Serious Serious
Government
Human Capital
Location
Finance
Marketing
Operational
Figure 4. Common challenges encountered by the artists and their degree of concern
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
45
From the business perspective, the marketing-related concerns were mostly about
customer acquisition and promotions. Finance-related concerns were associated with financial
management and financing. In terms of operations, the location and presence were identified
as pressing concerns, followed by utilities and logistics. Though most human-resource-related
concerns were at the bottom of the list, finding committed people in carrying out the art forms
and traditions to the next generation was of high concern.
Notably, some artists considered themselves to be not good businessmen or
entrepreneurs. For them, if they were given a choice, they would rather focus on their specific
crafts and let other people manage the trade and transactions in making their masterpieces and
performance reach other people. These challenges and concerns call for policies in human
capital and infrastructure to ensure the development of the creative city.
Discipline-Specific Concerns
The art segment on visual arts, music, performing arts, and literature, shared their
hurdles.
Visual Arts
Figure 5 shows the challenges encountered by the visual artists accompanying its
degree of concern. Visual artists agreed that limited government support (74%) and the
commitment of artists to sustain the arts (62%) were their topmost concerns. Quantitative
ratings supported their responses on their challenges on lack of fund, acknowledgment, and
appreciation, to the extent of exploitation. Aside from the financial, moral, and social support,
artists were also very particular with who represents them in the government. According to
them, those who speak on their behalf have limited appreciation and knowledge about arts
and artists.
The business side of art also seriously perturbed artists. They experienced difficulties
in finding clients who would appreciate and buy their art (62%). A budding portraiture artist
claimed to already sell their art at affordable prices, yet clients still extensively negotiate. In
terms of art as their source of income, some also were uncomfortable with their art being
commoditized. According to them, they feel that art turns to be more commercialized, as they
become more business-minded.
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Not At All Not Very Somewhat Very Extremely

Attribute Categorization Serious Serious Serious Serious Serious
Government
Human Capital
Location
Finance
Marketing
Operational

Figure 5. Common challenges encountered by the visual artists and its degree of concern
46 de Guzman

Artists also claimed and had the perception that they were not good businessmen.
Looking at the rating data and open-ended response, it seemed that this concern was not about
business skills but more on managing and juggling time between art production and art
marketing. According to a rice husk artist, it is already time-consuming to conceptualize and
generate art, yet, they still have to market and find clients who would patronize such. Artists
acknowledged their professional need for art management skills, but they also recognized the
bigger challenge to find intermediaries who will manage the business side.
Galleries could act as the intermediary for artists serving both as a middleman and a
marketplace. The middleman in a sense that galleries inanimately sell their art on their behalf
while the marketplace is where artists and patrons transact and exchange art.
Though the opportunities of marketing and promoting their works through galleries
and showrooms were present, these physical institutions were ironically scarce in Baguio City.
Aside from the limited venue for artistic expression (41%) and for showcasing works (41%),
it was more challenging for them to find quality premises fit for their needs (61%). A sculptor
and studio artist pointed out that common galleries in Baguio City were not actual galleries
but makeshift ones (i.e. cafés, restaurants, and apartments) which, according to artists, could
affect the quality of artworks due to moisture and oil. The importance of having these venues
had been realized but the opportunity has yet to be materialized.
Most of the artists relied on their art as the main source of livelihood. With the nature
of their work, income was considered unstable and unsustainable. Since they find it hard to
make positive cash flows (59%), it is usual for the artists to explore alternative work to earn
additional income. According to a budding artist, being part of the informal economy, benefits
such as social security, healthcare, and housing were also limited. Lastly, challenges in finding
clients (62%) and marketing and promoting art (50%) contributed to the instability and
unsustainability of the livelihood among artists.
There were also concerns about their respective value chains. Quality raw materials
were scarce in Baguio City. There were limited distributors in the area and artists struggle to
acquire high-end and quality supplies (44%) which are essential in creating their masterpieces.
Thus, some still resorted to buying in Metro Manila. On the other end, some artists found
distributing and transporting (32%) their actual artworks challenging. They have worries about
the capability of courier services to safely transport their artworks to their clients. Also,
insurance coverage of these couriers was technically limited and costly.
As mentioned, artists have numerous challenges, specifically in the aspects of the
business. These key players of the creative industries considered the business and economics
of their profession as a burden for the artists.
Music
As Figure 6 shows, the lack of government (88%) and business-specific support
(63%) came as the top concerns among musicians and music groups in Baguio City. These
musicians found it very challenging to find people who would continue their traditional music
(75%). Among the other attributes, creative spaces for recording (63%) and staging (63%)
their music had been identified as pressing concerns.
Also, they had challenges in finding audiences who would appreciate (63%) their
songs and performances. As they mentioned, the consumers and attendees in general, although
they might not be specific to the Baguio audience, either had limited incentives to purchase
their music or to attend their shows. There were also difficulties in promoting local art bands
and groups, as people lack appreciation (63%) of the music they produce. As explained by a
local music producer and performer, there were also limited opportunities for local artists to
showcase their talents as events specific to traditional and indigenous music were rare.
Currently, as globalization entered the industry, more people patronize international music
such as Korean and Japanese Pop Music, which were widely promoted and marketed.
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
47
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Not At All Not Very Somewhat Very Extremely

Attribute Categorization Serious Serious Serious Serious Serious
Government
Human Capital
Location
Finance
Marketing
Operational

Figure 6. Common challenges encountered by the musicians and their degree of concern

Though not widespread to all, there were local musicians whose works had been
owned by other bands in the lowland, raising the concern about intellectual property rights
(50%).
An indigenous musician pointed out the potential problem of identifying the term
“Baguio Music” itself. Since Baguio City is the melting pot of various musical genres like
country, blues, pop, and traditional, there has been confusion on what represented Baguio
City’s music. Also, the unavailability of a centralized database was a concern for the
preservation and continuity of traditional folk music.
For music groups such as bands, orchestras, and chorales, the internal conflict in
terms of member attitude was found to be common among respondents (38%) while finding
mentors was also challenging for one chorale group.
Performing Arts
Performance arts, which include dance and theater, have almost identical rating
scores with music. Top concerns among these performance artists were finding an audience
and individuals who would appreciate (86%) and continue (71%) their profession.
Lastly, like any other discipline, lack of support from the government (57%) was
raised by a group of artists. The intellectual property rights’ concern (57%) stemmed from the
usage of copyrighted pieces they stage during their performances.
Internally, these dance and theater groups were also struggling in terms of finances
(57%). The instruments and costumes used by cultural performers were considered expensive
and the groups found it difficult to raise funds to acquire them. Membership was also an issue
both in terms of the number of artists who join and stay in their organizations (57%), as well
as the different personalities and attitudes of each member. An ethno-tribal performance
group pointed out that no umbrella organizations were present to coordinate performance
activities Hence, collective direction and collaboration were managed individually.
Like some of the other art forms, the location has been a challenge for some as they
struggled in finding a venue (40%) where they can practice and perform. With the absence of
creative spaces, events showcasing dance and theater performances became limited in the city.
48 de Guzman

Furthermore, as they typically showcased the traditional rituals and moves, some had
experienced discrimination towards indigenous people, mainly from those who have a limited
understanding of the Cordillera culture. Aside from this, the potential audience in the city had
a low interest in traditional dance and theater due to a lack of appreciation of performance
arts.

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Not At All Not Very Somewhat Very Extremely

Attribute Categorization Serious Serious Serious Serious Serious
Government
Human Capital
Location
Finance
Marketing
Operational

Figure 7. Common challenges encountered by the performance artists and its degree of concern

Literature
For literature, concerns were on recognition and livelihood. Among literary writers,
the main challenge was the current image of Baguio City towards the arts (100%). Being a
Baguio City-known artist adds pressure and expectations to writers who also felt unrecognized
by the locals (50%) and the government (50%). According to them, the incentives from the
government to flourish in their craft were also limited.
In terms of economic and business operations, there were concerns about the tedious
process of earning and the temporary nature of their jobs. Scarcity of platforms (50%), such
as publishing houses in the city, limit their operations and competition (75%) towards other
forms of media. They raised the challenges of intellectual property protection and plagiarism
of their works (50%). Particularly, an editor-in-chief raised the concern about the absence of
"soft infrastructures" such as creative clusters, development designs, and organizations that
could empower writers as well.

Motivations of Baguio City Artists in Pursuit of Arts

Despite the various concerns of the different categories of artists, they still have
numerous and strong reasons to continue their art and further contribute to building the
Creative City of Baguio (see Figure 9). The strongest motivation among artists was their
advocacy, both for arts and cultural promotion and preservation. Some also enumerated that
they still do their art out of passion which provides self-fulfillment. It was noteworthy that
economic gains seemed to be second only to personal, social, and actualization motivators.
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
49
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Not At All Not Very Somewhat Very Extremely

Attribute Categorization Serious Serious Serious Serious Serious
Government
Human Capital
Location
Finance
Marketing
Operational

Figure 8. Common challenges encountered by literary writers and the degree of concern

Advocacy 39%

Passion 30%

Income and Livelihood 20%

Motivations

Fulfilment 11%

Personal Development 5%

Therapeautic 5%
Personal
Societal
Situation Driven 4% Economical
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Percentage of Respondents Having Motivations
Figure 9. Motivations among Baguio City artists

Summary and Conclusion

Baguio City possesses some indicators of a successful creative industry. However,
since the metropolis still lacks in some areas, it might limit Baguio City to further develop the
creative industries and reach its full potential as a creative city.
There are an existing input and output of the arts and crafts market in Baguio City
where the artists and artisans participate. These artists showcase their visual arts, music, and
literary works, and stage dance, music, and theater performances. Though art products and
services are abundantly available, finding consumers who will patronize these products
remained to be the challenge. Interviews revealed that people nowadays have limited
appreciation of art and those few who are not that willing to pay even with the affordable price
tag in it. This has an impact on the artists who consider art as their primary livelihood.
50 de Guzman

Based on the results, attracting creative human capital surfaced to be an emerging

concern as the current generation showed disinterest in arts. Concerning developing human
capital, the research surfaced the need for entrepreneurial development due to the challenges
they encounter on the business aspect of their craft.
Art is also a business as described in the etymology of creative cities. However, artists
do not consider themselves as a good and effective businessman. Artists encounter challenges
on their target market, marketing and promoting their products and services, secure fund,
manage cash flow, procure inputs, and expediting logistics. Attending to both their creative
production and commercial pursuits is a challenge as the former is already time-consuming
while the latter is not their expertise.
Concerns on creative spaces where they can showcase their creative works were also
raised. Though Baguio City has art-related museums and galleries, these were all privately
owned. Public art galleries and stages do not exist in the city. Public busking in Baguio City is
still prohibited and requires a permit from the local government. These situations delimited
creative expression from the artists.
Studies also showed that artists felt undervalued and unappreciated due to the limited
programs implemented in Baguio City. The common concern among artists, regardless of the
creative field to which they belong, was the lack of government support for the artists. Artists
attributed this to the representative personalities who have limited awareness and fewer
concerns on their needs as an artist. As a result, programs that were developed and
implemented were irrelevant and unaligned in the art industry.
These concerns, regardless of the discipline, were seen as a result of the lack of
valuation for arts, culture, heritage, and tradition which might be rooted in the limited
awareness and exposure of consumers, players, government, and the general public.

Recommendations
Even before being hailed as a Creative City, Baguio City has already been living the
spirit of ingenuity, imagination, and inventiveness as reflected by the works of its artists. It was
a true haven of arts and the city itself which has a rich pool of talented individuals who practice
creativity in various forms of art. Though skills were abundant, individuals and the public
sector have encountered challenges in committing themselves to further develop these
industries. Thus, as the city reaped the benefits of international recognition as a Creative City,
programs addressing the needs of artists should be put into place. The study recommends the
following to develop Baguio City as a Creative City.
Creative Industries Promotion
Lack of awareness of the people is a huge hindrance to patronizing and continuing
the art. To attract clients and patrons, art events and fairs can be organized in the city. The
newly institutionalized creative festival during November should be further promoted to gain
traction similar to the Panagbenga Festival of Baguio City which is focused mainly on tourism
and trade. Putting art closer to people such as pop-up mall galleries, street arts, and weekend
art markets should be continued and further explored in other areas. It is high time for policies
to be focused on promoting and incentivizing the products and services of these creative
industries.
Human Capital Development
Professionalizing Baguio City Artists
Since only a few artists were formally registered in the city, it is suggested that the
government should promote formal registration for the artists. It will be beneficial for the city
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
51
to account for and measure the value and contribution of creative industries as well as elevate
the artists' mindset of being professionals in their respective fields. Special provisions or
incentives might be provided to encourage artists to be part of the registry. Baguio could learn
from Copenhagen, Penang, and Indonesia where creative workers and freelancers were
professionalized, and educational infrastructures were established to further hone their talent.
To protect the creative individuals and industries, and information awareness
campaign on intellectual property should be conducted as some of the respondents were
unaware of this. The presence of intellectual property rights policies focusing on its strengths
and weaknesses in implementation could be part of this assessment.
Creative and Entrepreneurial Skills Training
Lack of interest in patronizing and continuing their art may also be attributed to the
lack of exposure, awareness, and valuation towards arts. Hence, the pivotal role of universities
in promulgating creativity and culture emerged. Baguio City, a university town itself, should
continue to empower universities in their role in human capital development. Their present
involvement in indigenous skills training through their “schools of living tradition” should
further be strengthened. Schools should also integrate the indigenous arts and crafts in their
curriculum for the future generation to gain interest in these creative activities. This would be
a good pool of clientele and human capital who will have an interest in consuming and
continuing art, respectively.
Training focused on developing the knowledge and skills of artists both in the
creative and business aspects should be held. Business support in terms of financing,
marketing, operations, and management will also enhance the productivity and profitability of
these creative industries. An intermediary who specializes in commerce may be a good addition
to the value chain as well. It was common for these individuals to treat their art as their main
source of livelihood. The challenges in finding clients and sparring competition affected their
livelihood. Most artists mainly create art for their living, and the struggle of income
sustainability and stability was commonly experienced as the demand for their artworks is
irregular. The main motive why artists continue their craft was passion, yet being able to have
a regular income was also an important concern to them. It is, thus, essential to be not only
successful in their respective arts, but also be productive in their respective industries. They
should be able to sustain themselves, to have full support on the initiatives of the creative
industries, and creative economies as well.
Infrastructure Establishment
It is recommended for the government sector to build innovation, creative, and
economic hubs for artists.
Innovation hubs, which are already in the pipeline of government programs, will
address artists’ workplace space requirements and encourage collaboration with other artists.
These will also open opportunities brought about by the accessibility of technology in these
hubs.
Though most of the venues are usually dedicated to galleries and performances,
additional venues are needed to serve as creative and economic spaces. Creative hubs such as
galleries and auditoriums where artists could conduct workshops, exhibits, and stage
performances should be prioritized. These hubs will also serve as creative marketplaces and
physical intermediaries which will facilitate trade among artists and customers. It will also
promote the artist’s works and performances to a wider clientele and audience making them
economic hubs. Baguio City may adapt Copenhagen’s initiative in deregulating and dedicating
spaces for creative events and businesses. It encouraged artists to create and make public
spaces more art-friendly which exposed the city dwellers to creative pursuits.
52 de Guzman

These hubs should also have proper information and communication technology
(ICT) infrastructures. These will provide artists access to clients, market, patrons, and
professional development opportunities which could provide benefits to the creative
industries. Baguio City could consider adapting Penang's internet-for-all program to provide
artists avenue for better collaboration, more exposure, and a wider market for their art.
Participatory Planning and Policy Making
To make insights and recommendations be properly reflected and implemented in
the creative city’s strategic and operational plans, an inclusive and collaborative planning
process should be established. An industry-wide consultation among the creative industry
artists shall help in crafting programs tailor-fit according to their needs. Being aware of their
contributions to city planning, artists will feel empowered and invested with their involvement
in developing the Creative City of Baguio.
The limited sector representation of artists in the government before the induction
to the Creative Cities Network was seen to be one of the reasons for limited and unaligned
support and programs for the creative industries.
Learning from the framework, delegates from the creative industries, the private
sector, universities, and the government must be present. Currently, CECP, the University of
the Philippines-Baguio (UP Baguio), Baguio City Tourism Office, and some artist's
representatives are involved in crafting creative city plans. The multi-sectoral composition in
policymaking established by the local government should be sustained and strengthened. The
involvement of UP Baguio might exhibit the same success story of universities in Boston and
San Diego while the strong influence of CECP exemplified the value of the private sector, as
what has been exhibited in Frutillar.
These recommendations in industry promotion, human capital development,
infrastructure establishment, and policy-making involvement all lead towards the promotion
of an ecosystem and infrastructure conducive for artists who are the heart and bloodstream
of creative industries and creative cities.
Profiling of Potential Creative Cities
The experiences and lessons learned of Baguio City can be considered as guidelines
in developing creative city plans for other provinces in the country as well. Similar creative
industries profiling should be done to other municipalities in the country who have creative
industries. Examples of such include Paete for wood carving and Lumban for embroidery. For
weaving, Panay Island and the provinces of Ilocos, Aklan, Basilan, South Cotabato, Davao,
Lanao, and Saranggani, can be the next area of interest. Further studies may enhance the
framework developed to serve as metrics.
Creative Cities Metrics and Index
An establishment of universal creative city metrics to assess the performance of
potential and inducted members to the network could be institutionalized. This will make the
network serve not only as a membership and branding institution, but more of a
developmental body, which is the integral goal of the Creative Cities Network. Aside from the
contribution of the creative industries to the economy of the city in terms of income and
employment, the dimensions present in the framework could be used as metrics to assess their
status and performance.
In the metrics, industry, human capital, infrastructure, intellectual property, and
stakeholder profile can be included to develop an index. The number of creative industries
and the value they produce or provide should also be included in the metrics. Similarly, the
employment census should be incorporated with specific measures not only among those who
Journal of Economics, Management & Agricultural Development Vol. 6 No. 1
53
are formally employed but to include freelancers as well. Those in the educational institutions
should be included as they are the potential players in the creative market.
In terms of infrastructure, the number and area of innovation and economic hubs
dedicated to creative industries should be measured. In terms of information infrastructure,
internet speed, and penetration among individuals and spaces could be monitored together
with digital and internet literacy to account for both human capital and infrastructure. For
intellectual property, the presence of policies and the strength and weakness of
implementation could be part of this assessment.
Lastly, the degree of participation and diversity of those involved in the policymaking
process of a creative city would be a good addition to weigh what is happening in the city.
Most importantly, budget allocation and actual spending on programs related to creative
industries should be accounted for.
From these specific metrics, an index can be established to provide status and
performance ratings among city members. These metrics should be collected during the
application stage and periodically after being declared as a creative city. This would not only
determine the impacts of the membership but would also provide information and insights
about performances and trends among members. These efforts would open opportunities
towards a more scientific approach in developing these creative cities.
More importantly, to avoid further confusion among terminologies, the Creative
Cities Network should consider using the operational definitions of cultural industries, creative
industries, and creative economy as prescribed by UNCTAD and as used in this study to have
a standardized approach in the scope and coverage of the creative cities.

Acknowledgment
This work was a product of the collective efforts, initiatives, and support of the Asian
Institute of Management, the British Council in the Philippines, the Creative Economy
Council of the Philippines, Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy, and the University of the
Philippines-Baguio. The author would like to personally express his deepest gratitude to the
people behind this research, Prof. Gaston D. Ortigas, Jr., Ms. Malaya del Rosario, Mr. Paolo
A. Mercado, Dr. Tom Fleming, and Dr. Raymundo Rovillos.

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