By CESAR JOLITO III

Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez has pledged to bring the country’s National Creative Industries Council to Bacolod and strengthen the city’s bid to become a Creative City of Gastronomy from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), positioning the capital as a key player in the Philippines’ growing creative economy.

Speaking as keynote speaker during the 88th Bacolod City Charter Day Awards Night on Thursday, June 18, Benitez said he wants national leaders shaping the country’s creative industries to convene in Bacolod and experience firsthand the culture, food and innovation that define Negros.

“I want the people who decide this country’s creative future to make some of those decisions here, on Negros ground, tasting what we taste and seeing what you have built,” he said.

Benitez, who chairs the House special committee on creative industries, said the initiative is backed by the Creative Industries Development Act and the national 10-year development plan that aims to make the Philippines the creative capital of Asia by 2034.

He added that Congress can provide technical assistance, programs, and funding to support Bacolod’s Unesco Gastronomy City bid, ensuring the locality will not pursue the international recognition on its own.

The lawmaker also highlighted the Philippines’ recent election as one of four new members of the Unesco Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, saying the development further strengthens efforts to promote and preserve the country’s cultural identity.

Broader vision

Benitez linked the gastronomy campaign to a broader vision for Negros Occidental’s economy, encouraging the province to create more value from its agricultural products instead of exporting them in raw form.

He noted that Bacolod recorded a 7.7-percent economic growth over the past year, surpassing both provincial and national growth rates.

“Sugar will always be our foundation, and we will never apologize for it. But a foundation is something you build on, not something you stop at,” he said.

Echoing the Charter Day theme, Benitez stressed that Bacolod’s progress should benefit the rest of Negros Occidental, including its sugar-producing towns, fishing communities and coastal cities.

“Stronger together is not just how Bacolod wins. It is how Negros wins,” he said.

The congressman also cited his tenure as mayor of Victorias City, which was recognized by the Department of Trade and Industry as the most improved component city in Western Visayas, as proof that investing in creativity can drive local economic growth./CCJ, WDJ