Mountain Province forms creative council

BONTOC, Mountain Province—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Mountain Province approved Provincial Ordinance No. 629, institutionalizing the Provincial Creative Council of Mountain Province to foster local culture, arts, and creative industries.

The council was established to support local creative talents, cultural heritage, and economic opportunities across the province.

The council will be chaired by the Provincial Governor, with the SP Chairperson of the Committee on Economics, Trade, Industry, Cooperatives, Non-Government Organizations, and PeoplesnOrganizations serving as Co-Chairperson. The SPChairperson of the Committee on Indigenous Peoples, Culture and Arts serves as Vice Chairperson, while the Head of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO)acts as the Secretariat.

​The council comprises technical representatives from local government offices, including the legal, tourism, cooperative development, information, youth development, and planning departments. Private sector members appointed by the Governor will represent creative workers, creative entrepreneurs, general business, academe, youth, and indigenous peoples.

Representatives from national agencies such as the Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Intellectual Property Office, Department of Education (DepEd), and Mountain Province State University (MPSU) will also join the council.

Main functions of the creative council include formulating the Provincial Creative Industries Development Plan, maintaining a provincial database of local creative workers and businesses, and coordinating efforts among government offices, academic institutions, and private stakeholders. The council is tasked with improving market access for local products and services through trade fairs, exhibitions, and tourism activities.

It will recommend legislative policies to the SP and promote intellectual property protection alongside the preservation of traditional cultural expressions.

The council to secure external funding and grants from national agencies and private institutions. It will expand operational networks by partnering with organizations such as the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the Animation Council of the Philippines, and the Game Development Association of the Philippines. The council will directly implement creative industry programs and continuously monitor their outcomes to recommend improvements.