Creative Cities – Philippines

Designated as Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2017, Baguio City initiate the development of Creative Centres dedicated to supporting crafts and folk art, offering workshops, studios, design laboratories, exhibit areas as well as open collaborative spaces for creators and the general public, thus strengthening Baguio’s creative ecosystem.

Designated as Creative City of Design in 2019, Cebu City is traditionally known for furniture, arts and crafts, and fashion design; it is generally considered to be the country’s design capital. Moreover, in recent years, Cebu has also become a global hub for multimedia arts and IT outsourcing. In 2008, Cebu was designated a British Council Creative City of Design and was the ASEAN City of Culture in 2015.

Designated as Creative City of Gastronomy in 2023, Iloilo has a long-standing gastronomic tradition rooted in its inhabitants’ way of life and in the local culture of the “fiesta” and its festive banquets. The city actively supports its food industry in the belief that it is instrumental for its urban development.