Dumaguete City aspires to be part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Creative Cities Network (UCCN) around the world in the field of Literature.
Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo said the city may qualify to be the City of Literature due to the immense contribution of writers from Dumaguete City to the development of Philippine literature.
“Apart from ‘bragging rights,’ the designation will bolster tourism, expand networking globally, and put Dumaguete City on the map, especially on the creative and cultural aspects,” Remollo said during a press conference at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Dumaguete.
The DTI, together with the Philippine National Commission for Unesco, has selected Dumaguete City for endorsement of the Unesco Creative City of Literature designation for 2025.
Dumaguete City is known for its many achievements in the field of literature, such as the Silliman University (SU) National Writers Workshop — the longest running in the country — and the Silliman University Library, with a huge circulation of 100,000 volumes of books in various subjects.
DTI provincial director Nimfa Virtucio said aside from Dumaguete City, Quezon City was also endorsed under the category of film.
The endorsement underscores Dumaguete’s rich cultural and literary heritage and aligns with Unesco’s vision of sustainable urban development through creativity, said Virtucio.
Currently, the Philippines has three cities recognized under UCCN, namely: Iloilo City for Gastronomy, Cebu City for Design, and Baguio City for Crafts and Folk Art.
“This global community of cities works together to share experiences and create sustainable and inclusive urban development strategies driven by creativity,” Virtucio said.
In the same presscon, DTI creative industry program manager Anton Gabila said he hopes that Dumaguete will be recognized by Unesco as the city has many renowned local writers who are globally competitive.
Gabila cited SU Assistant Professor Ian Fermin Casocot, a multi-awarded writer who won literary genres in the 2023 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Contest.
He said Casocot wrote the initial profile submitted to the Philippine National Commission for Unesco for the designation by which was the basis for the endorsement to the UCCN.
The endorsement was finalized in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Office of Pangasinan 4th District Representative Christopher de Venecia, and the Philippine National Commission for Unesco.
De Venecia authored the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act.
The designation of cities in different categories by the UCCN is done every two years. (PIA-7 Negros Oriental)