The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), through its Assistant Director-General for Cultural Sector Ernesto Ottone R., congratulates and welcomes Iloilo City to the Creative Cities Network (CCN) as Creative City of Gastronomy.
Iloilo is the very first city in the Philippines to make it to the gastronomy category, and the country’s lone official entry this year.In his letter dated Nov. 6, 2023, Ottone extended his congratulations to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treรฑas on the cityโs meaningful achievement.
โBy joining the Network, your city undertakes to place culture and creativity at the heart of its sustainable development, in the short, medium and long term. Your city’s designation reflects the quality of the proposed action plan and the key position attached to culture, which has been recognised as a ‘global public good’ by 150 States at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development โ MONDIACULT 2022,โ Ottone briefed Treรฑas.
The UNESCO official said the city as a UCCN member will be contributing to the day-to-day activities of the Network, particularly in its reporting exercise on a periodic schedule.
The reports should illustrate the city’s active implementation of the UCCN Mission Statement, both at local and international level. Lying at the core of the Network is the sharing of knowledge, experiences, initiatives and practices enabled by culture and creativity among member cities.
โFrom now on, your city’s expertise, as well as contributions, in kind or financial, will be essential to our shared and continued success,โ he added.
Ottone noted that Iloilo City is joining the Network on the year that marks the halfway point in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
He underscored the need to intensify the collective action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals especially Goal 11 on “sustainable cities and communities.โ
UNESCO will also step up its efforts to advocate for the integration of culture as a stand-alone goal in the post-2030 agenda, mobilizing all relevant stakeholders, notably its Creative Cities, towards the said vision.
Moreover, UNESCO invited Treรฑas to the Network’s main initiatives and activities, in particular the UNESCO Creative Cities Network Annual Conference which will take place in Braga (Portugal), a Creative City of Media Arts, from July 1 to 5, 2024.
Overwhelmed by this international feat, Treรฑas reiterated his appreciation to everyone who worked hard and contributed to the cityโs achievement.โThe UNESCO designation as Creative City of Gastronomy for Iloilo City is the product of community effort by the LGU, academe, NCCA, DTI and several nameless persons who worked hard to prepare the documentation required, the videos, and other submissions. This recognition is not only for one person or for a group of persons. This is for all Ilonggos wherever you are. Let us all be proud to be Ilonggos,โ he said. (Iloilo City PIO)
