Young artists' group laments systemic neglect

BAGUIO CITY — A group of young artists based in Baguio City and Benguet outlined key challenges faced by local creative workers and demand structural reforms.

The Benguet Young Artists’ Workers Association, known as BYAWAC, stressed that despite the creative sector contributing over eight million jobs and seven percent of the national Gross Domestic Product (GNP), local artists, performers, and cultural workers still face economic insecurity, bureaucratic burdens, and systemic neglect.

BYAWAC pointed out that while Baguio and Benguet are celebrated for their cultural heritage and artistic output—ranging from chart-topping musical acts to traditional weaving and visual arts—grassroots creators face severe obstacles. Key concerns highlighted by the association include punitive local taxation, fair compensation issues, unfair competition from generative artificial intelligence, and restrictive standards imposed on public art.

The organization presented a multi-point platform targeting policy changes, economic protections, and institutional reforms.

First, the association called for ethical guidelines regarding artificial intelligence. It urged government agencies and educational institutions to refrain from replacing human creators with AI-generated content, while advocating for small businesses to receive equitable access to technology without undermining local labor.

Second, the group demanded improved labor protections and fair compensation. Their proposals include establishing a National Living Wage for both direct creators and support staff, implementing standardized salary grades for government-employed creative personnel, ratifying ILO Convention 193, and passing the Magna Carta for Freelancers and Workers in the Informal Economy. The association also condemned common industry abuses, such as delayed payments, mid-production fee reductions, lack of contracts, and inadequate basic working conditions during events.

Third, BYAWAC advocated for tax reforms and simplified administrative processes. The organization suggested implementing a dedicated percentage of local revenue for the arts, lowering local amusement taxes below the current ten percent maximum threshold—citing existing precedents in Quezon City and Mandaluyong—and providing exemptions or proper support frameworks for creative micro, small, and medium enterprises. Additionally, they urged local government units to incorporate clear exemption procedures for creative events into their official Citizens’ Charters.

Fourth, the group called for the protection of artistic freedom, asserting that elected officials and municipal employees must not censor, deface, or remove public artworks without consultation or outside established constitutional rights.

Fifth, BYAWAC requested revisions to local urban planning frameworks. They urged the Baguio City Planning, Development and Sustainability Office to adopt a broader, neighborhood-level approach to cultural infrastructure, rather than limiting cultural metrics to specific geographic zones in the city's Livability Index.

The artists organization sought dedicated political representation and administrative restructuring. Proposed measures include separating the Arts and Culture Office from the Tourism department to address the distinct requirements of cultural workers, institutionalizing feedback mechanisms for major projects such as the Maharlika Livelihood Center creative hub transition, expediting barangay-level governance processes to secure local funding for neighborhood artists, and encouraging young creative professionals to seek public office in upcoming local elections.

BYAWAC reiterated that cultural expression and creative labor are vital public goods that require equitable policy support, fair wages, and structural recognition from both municipal and provincial leadership.