Arts and Culture Sector Manifesto

ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR
M A N I F E S T O

We, artists, cultural workers, educators and arts administrators from the Arts and Culture Sector of Philippine society, commit ourselves to:

➢ Support the new administration in its pursuit of social, political, economic and cultural progress through the promotion of good governance, transparency and moral ascendancy that will lay the foundation for national development;

➢ Unite as a sector, as we become more vigilant and determined to advocate for the development of a national Philippine culture we can all be proud of;

➢ Be active catalysts in the moral transformation of our society through the promotion of Filipino values, customs and traditions;

➢ Be formidable partners in forging national unity by addressing ethno-cultural problems and by using the arts as instruments for peace and development.

We urge the Philippine Government, including its cultural agencies and concerned departments, to:

➢ Formulate a national vision and a unified plan for artistic and cultural development in consultation with the Arts and Culture sector.

➢ Recognize the value of artistic and cultural development in the context of peace, national unity and progress;

➢ Provide the necessary support structures and mechanisms for the development and promotion of arts and culture, including infrastructure for the arts, arts in education, creative industry, cultural promotion and cultural heritage conservation.

➢ Consult our sector on a regular basis on the formulation and implementation of policies and programs related to arts and culture, including the choice of leaders of cultural institutions.

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ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR
AREAS OF CONCERN AND PROPOSALS

1. CULTURE AND GOVERNANCE. The culture of governance has been largely characterized in the immediate past by graft, corruption, patronage politics, divisiveness and lack of morals. There is a need to restore good governance not only within the Philippine government but in all sectors of society as well.

Toward this end, the Arts and Culture sector commits itself to the following:
➢ Become more vigilant as a watchdog and voice in bringing forth the ills as well as the gains -- in our society;
➢ Promote Philippine values and help in the moral transformation of our people.

We encourage the government to do the following:
➢ Set the example for good governance; (National and local governments, all government agencies and departments)
➢ Promote transparency in governance and consult with our sector on a regular basis on plans and programs related to arts and culture, including the choice of leaders of cultural institutions; (National government and cultural agencies)
➢ Support programs that will promote arts for social transformation. (National government and cultural agencies)
➢ Protect freedom of artistic expression and safeguard academic freedom through national policy provisions such as the passage of the new MTRCB law. (National government, Congress and cultural agencies)

2. ARTS AS AN INDUSTRY. The arts have been a marginalized sector of Philippine society. This is evident in the lack of patronage, support and audienceship the sector gets from the general public, the business community and from the government. In totality though, the arts is a large industry, contributing to our national economy in a magnitude few of us are aware of. The sector contributed P324 billion or 5.37\% of GDP in 2006. Given proper attention and incentives, the creative industry can flourish and benefit the country and the sector in a larger way, thus helping the Governments efforts towards poverty alleviation.

Towards this end, the Arts and Culture sector commits itself to the following:
➢ Establish a system of networking and linkages among members of the artistic and cultural community;
➢ Undertake more cooperative ventures that would help alleviate the plight of artists and cultural workers;
➢ Professionalize our ranks to enable us to practice our art as viable careers;
➢ Organize ourselves into equity groups that will protect our rights as workers.

We encourage the government to undertake the following measures:
➢ Undertake a nationwide Creative Industry survey that will determine the contribution of the Arts and Culture sector to the national economy; (DTI and NCCA)
➢ Develop and implement a National Creative Industry Development Plan; (DTI, NCCA, CCP and NEDA)
➢ Review existing policies and laws on the various sectors of the Creative Industry and enact new laws or policies that will encourage the development of the Creative Industry. (Cultural agencies, Congress and DTI)
➢ Strictly implement the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines specific to the Creative Industry and, in particular, to eradicate film piracy. (DTI, IPO, OMB and PNP)
➢ Provide more opportunities to members of the Arts and Culture sector to avail of foreign grants for human resource development. (NEDA, DFA and DepEd)
➢ Encourage TESDA to give more focus on the Creative Industry through training programs on arts and crafts. (TESDA)

3. FUNDING FOR ARTS AND CULTURE. While working toward developing the arts as a significant industry in our country, the developmental aspect of our mission as a sector must be encouraged and supported.

Toward this end, the Arts and Culture Sector commits itself to the following:
➢ Improve our capability to raise funds from the public and private sectors locally and internationally and to properly manage such through effective arts and cultural management.

We encourage the government to do the following:
➢ Provide tax incentives for donations from the private sector, for artists who donate their works to BIR-accredited organizations and institutions, and for the importation of non-locally available arts materials and equipment; (Department of Finance; Bureau of Customs)
➢ Encourage local government units to establish arts and culture offices and utilize their CDFs (Cultural Development Funds) for artistic and cultural projects within their communities; (DILG)
➢ Provide bigger budgetary allocations for government cultural institutions; (Congress and DBM)
➢ Encourage and support the development of infrastructure for the arts all over the country (e.g., peoples centers, theaters, museums, libraries, etc.); (DILG, DOT, NCCA and DepEd, CHED)
➢ Improve and streamline the grant-giving procedures of government cultural institutions; (NCCA, CCP and COA)
➢ Provide health care, retirement and housing benefits for deserving Filipino artists; (Congress, DBM, NCCA and CCP)

4. CULTURAL PROMOTION. Arts and culture play a major role in the establishment of a national cultural identity that will be the foundation for peace and unity among Filipinos. Beyond this, the cultural dimension in national development needs to be recognized and enhanced. Cultural dissemination and promotion are vital to national unity. Greater awareness, understanding and appreciation of the cultural diversity of our nation by our people and by the foreign community will provide a strong foundation for cultural development and national pride.

Toward this end, the Arts and Culture Sector commits itself to the following:
➢ Utilize the media and the info-com technology as a medium for creative expression and in cultural dissemination and promotion;
➢ Cooperate with government cultural agencies and departments in the promotion of Philippine arts and culture.

We encourage the government to do the following:
➢ Undertake more regional programs that will increase awareness, understanding and appreciation of our cultural diversity as a nation; (NCCA, CCP, DepEd, CHED, DILG and other cultural institutions)
➢ Encourage the promotion and support the production of original Filipino works; (NCCA, CCP, DepEd, CHED)
➢ Enact a law that will institutionalize the proper selection of National Artists; (NCCA, CCP, Congress)
➢ Support the promotion of Philippine artists and their works abroad in order to promote Philippine culture and improve our national image among foreign publics; (NCCA, CCP, DOT and DFA)
➢ Support the establishment of a public broadcasting channel for arts and culture. (NCCA, PIA and OPS)
➢ Ratify the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions which shall promote our national cultural identity vis-а-vis globalization. (National government and Senate)

5. CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION. The intangible and tangible cultural heritage of the Philippines represents its wealth as a nation. Through them, we define our roots as a people and determine our identity within the global community. These cultural heritage properties must be conserved and managed properly with the participation of both the government and the private sector.

Toward this end, the Arts and Culture sector commits itself to the following:
➢ Become more vigilant in safeguarding the preservation of cultural heritage properties of our nation;
➢ Cooperate with cultural agencies in the conservation of these properties.

We encourage the Government to do the following:
➢ Work for the successful implementation of the Cultural Heritage Act; (NCCA and other cultural agencies, DBM)
➢ Issue an official moratorium on the demolition of historical/cultural heritage landmarks; (National government, DILG, NHI)
➢ Expand the School of Living Traditions all over the country; (NCCA, DOT, DILG, TESDA and DepEd)
➢ Encourage and support the establishment of more local museums and libraries. (NCCA, DepEd, CHED, National Museum, National Library and DILG)
➢ Promote regional literature and languages. (NCCA, CCP, Komisyon ng Wikang Pilino, CHED, DepEd)

6. ARTS IN EDUCATION; EDUCATION IN THE ARTS. Education plays an important role in developing cultural literacy among our youth. Learning to understand and appreciate the arts fosters creativity and cultivates innovation and productivity. On the other hand, developing greater understanding of Philippine arts promotes cultural consciousness and appreciation of our cultural diversity as a nation among our students.

Toward this end, the Arts and Culture Sector commits itself to the following:
➢ Assist government educational institutions in teachers training, curriculum development and production of teaching materials for arts and culture;
➢ Organize non-formal education programs in arts and culture.

We encourage the government to do the following:
➢ Implement the Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP); (NCCA, CCP, DepEd, CHED and TESDA)
➢ Strengthen the regional high schools for the arts; (DepEd, PHSA, CCP and NCCA)
➢ Encourage the establishment of performing arts groups and support artistic and cultural projects as extracurricular activities. (DepEd, CHED and TESDA)