We thank our colleagues for supporting the passage of House Bill 10107 or the proposed Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, one of the measures we have identified that will help the country bounce back from the economic woes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This landmark legislation aims to organize and institutionalize the Philippine creative economy in order to provide opportunities to workers in one of the sectors hit hardest by the current health crisis.
The coronavirus has had an enormous impact on every person and industry in the Philippines, but the creative sector has been uniquely affected by COVID-19. One and a half years into the pandemic, cinemas, theaters and museums remain closed, and music concerts and art festivals are still not allowed. In its 2020 labor market report, the International Labour Organization identified the arts, entertainment and recreation sector in the country as a “high-risk sector” or those industries that are least likely to remain operative due to mobility restrictions or are experiencing a decline in demand due to the pandemic.
As a nation filled with creative and artistically talented people, we never fail to display national pride whenever our fellow Filipinos would gain international recognition in their artistic endeavors. Without government intervention, the creative industries generated around P661 billion or 7.34 percent of our GDP in 2014. As more and more Filipino creatives being able to break through with their God-given talent, strong governmental support can really change the tide for the sector and allow our creative industries to reach their full potential. This is what we aim to achieve with HB 10107.
The bill, principally authored and sponsored by House Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts Chair Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher “Toff” De Venecia, would not only help creative industries recover from the pandemic, but also accelerate their economic growth. Under the bill, the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council will be created to ensure the development of the sector that has the potential to drive sustainable development and create inclusive job opportunities.
We extend our congratulations to Chair Toff, as well as the other authors and sponsors of the bill, for championing the measure and taking up the cudgels for thousands of people working in the creative sector. We are looking forward to the bill being approved by the Senate and eventually signed into law by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte this 18th Congress.
With this bill—together with the innate and natural talent of our people—we foresee the Philippine creative industries being at par with, if not exceeding, the world’s pool of talents in the coming years.