UNESCO announced the addition of 58 new members to its UNESCO Creative Cities Network on Friday, 31st October.
The Network recognises cities that promote creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development.
Among the recent additions are two Philippine cities: Quezon City in the National Capital Region and the university city of Dumaguete in the Visayas.
To date, the Philippines now has five cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network including Baguio City for Crafts and Folk Art (2017), Cebu City for Design (2019), and Iloilo City for Gastronomy (2023).
A glowing reflection
In a statement released on Tuesday, 4th November, the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) hailed these new inclusions, citing these as a reflection of the country’s efforts to advance sustainable urban development.
Department officials declared: “Dumaguete and Quezon City joined the prestigious international roster of creativity-driven urban cities, further cementing the country’s position as a champion of sustainable urban development,.”
Quezon City, which earned the Creative City of Film distinction, is home to the country’s biggest film studios, broadcasting networks, and hosts the annual QCinema International Film Festival.
The DOT said the UNESCO citation further strengthens Quezon City's position as the country’s film capital and the heart of Philippine cinema.
Dumaguete City, known for its long-standing literary heritage and vibrant community of writers and readers, was acknowledged as a Creative City of Literature.
The Visayan city is home to Silliman University, which hosts the annual National Writers Workshop, the oldest and one of the most prestigious creative writing workshops in Asia.
It joins nine other cities honored for their contributions to literature, namely Aberystwyth in Wales; Abuja, Nigeria; Lund, Sweden; Celje, Slovenia; Conakry, Guinea; Gdańsk, Poland; Kahramanmaraş, Turkey; San Luis Potosí, Mexico; and Tangier, Morocco.
