BAGUIO CITY — Artists, cultural workers, and indigenous tradition-bearers of Baguio City lighted candles, sang songs, and performed acts of protest during the closing of the 2025 "Ibagiw Creative Festival" on the evening of 23 November at the Baguio Cultural and Convention Center, denouncing the current direction of the city's cultural governance.

The groups of artists collectively described their protest as an act of "self-defense," rejecting the notion that it was mere spectacle. They said the protest served to highlight the profound disconnect between the city’s identity, which relies heavily on creative labor, and the treatment of its creators. The statement asserts:

The group "Sulong Likha" stressed that the city institutions have failed to uphold the spirit of Baguio's UNESCO Creative City designation, noting that instead of strengthening support systems, many creators report shrinking access to resources, ignored concerns, and contributions being taken for granted. The artists also stated that it is unacceptable that the very people who sustain the city's creative economy are left fighting for basic dignity, fair treatment, and respect.

The core of the condemnation targets a "corporate-driven, 'tokenistic,' and extractive direction" taken by cultural gatekeepers, particularly as evidenced by the city's reliance on large-scale events like the Ibagiw Festival. The group slammed the city institution for heavily relying on the "language of creativity" while simultaneously "hollowing out its meaning."

The group also said that practices carrying historical, political, and communal weight—especially those of Indigenous cultures—are reportedly being "stripped of context, sanitized for visitors," and presented as mere consumable "experiences." "This approach is unequivocally deemed misrepresentation and commodification disguised as support. Furthermore, the drive to brand Baguio's cultural life for tourism, as embodied by major events, has resulted in deeply exploitative conditions for artists," Sulong Likha stressed.

Local artist and film director Ferdie Balanag set the tone for the protest by calling the ongoing treatment of artists "disgraceful." He cited a pattern of disrespect, underpayment, neglect of performers, and the mishandling of cultural symbols, culminating in the destruction of an artist’s work without notice or remorse.

Balanag squarely placed the blame on a "person sitting in the high tower," accusing the figure of showing "blatant insensitivity, rooted in ignorance of culture and a total lack of respect" for the people who sustain the city's creative life.

The artistic community insists that for Baguio to honor its Creative City title, it must commit to humane, transparent, and equitable support for all artists. They called for a restoration of trust, respect for indigenous sovereignty, and the cultivation of creativity over mere profit.