A creative hub to be known as the iBagiw Creative Village will soon be launched at the Dominican Heritage Hill and Nature Park Garden (former Diplomat Hotel), a space dedicated to showcasing the best creative products of the community. This marks the beginning of a long-term vision to transform Heritage Hill into a vibrant creative hub, reinforcing Baguio’s identity as a UNESCO Creative City.
This will be the first of several creative hubs to be strategically placed across Baguio’s districts, strengthening the city’s identity as a UNESCO Creative City and ensuring that every local creative sector thrives. More than just a marketplace, these creative villages will be catalysts for economic transformation, supporting artists, artisans, and creative entrepreneurs who produce their own original works.
Baguio City has long been synonymous with creativity, a distinction recognized when it became the first UNESCO Creative City in the Philippines. Thanks to the endeavors of private entities like Narda’s Weaving, Easter Weaving, Tam-awan Village, BenCab Museum, Vocas, Ili-Likha, the Silver producers, the individual weavers, wood carvers, craftsmen, and many other private endeavors, this designation was realized.
However, for years, the city has also been burdened with identities that do not reflect its rich artistic heritage, like the “Ukay-Ukay Capital.” This label has overshadowed local craftsmanship, pushing out traditional industries like leathercraft, shoemaking, and tailoring, while allowing mass-produced goods from Divisoria and online marketplaces to flood our local businesses.
As a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, the local government was mandated to establish the Creative Baguio City Council (CBCC) to create programs that will focus on the creative economy as a catalyst for sustainable development.
For too long, many businesses in Baguio have relied on reselling generic, factory-made items found in almost every tourist destination across the country. According to CBCC Co-Chairperson Marie Venus Tan, “through strategic creative place-making, we can shift this trend, encouraging entrepreneurs to market locally made products instead. This will not only boost our creative industry but also provide visitors with authentic souvenirs that truly represent the culture and artistry of Baguio.” When tourists seek out and buy local, they contribute directly to our creative economy, making it more sustainable and vibrant.
Tan also said that “beyond economic growth, creative place-making is a solution to one of Baguio’s biggest challenges, congestion in the Central Business District. By decentralizing commercial activity, the iBagiw Creative Village and other planned creative hubs will bring business opportunities closer to communities.”
Among the things discussed during the CBCC meeting was the possibility that “unregulated vendors in the CBD, often playing hide and seek with the POSD, will have the chance to establish their enterprises in designated creative spaces within their own districts. “This initiative not only decongests the city center but also distributes economic benefits more evenly across Baguio, ensuring that creativity flourishes beyond the usual commercial areas,” said Tan.
Local artisanal food will also play a key role in this movement. Tourists, drawn by the distinct flavors of Baguio, will soon seek out locally made delicacies in every store they visit. This growing demand will gradually influence retailers to replace outsourced goods with homegrown products, creating a cycle where the success of one creative sector fuels the growth of others. Every purchase made will not only support individual artisans but also reinforce Baguio’s creative economy, elevating the city as a true model of a sustainable creative hub.
It’s going to be a challenging project for everyone involved, especially for the Creative Baguio City Council, which is leading the charge. It will require strong commitment from the city government, the private sector, and the local community. Will this move ensure that Baguio’s future will be shaped by its creatives, not by surplus goods or generic products? We certainly hope so, and we look forward to the reward where creativity is the foundation of economic prosperity and cultural preservation.
