07

Promoting
Philippine
Culture and
Values
 Chapter 7

Promoting Philippine Culture and

Values
Enhancing the social fabric requires promoting cultural awareness, identifying and inculcating
values for the common good, cultivating creativity, and promoting culture-sensitivity in
governance and development efforts. In the first year, limited strategies were employed,
mostly focusing on consolidation and systematization of efforts or “putting the pieces in
place” in preparation for bigger and broader reforms and actions. These primordial strategies
of the culture sector include institution-building, systematic documentation and monitoring
of ongoing programs, and identifying and addressing data gaps, among others.

Figure 7.1 Strategic Framework to Promote Philippine Culture and Values

50 | Socioeconomic Report 2017

Accomplishments
Recognizing the importance of culture, the Social Development Committee (SDC) of the National Economic
and Development Authority (NEDA) Board created the Subcommittee on Culture.1 The SDC Subcommittee
on Culture serves as a mechanism to oversee the implementation of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP)
strategies on culture, requiring close collaboration and complementation of efforts of various government
agencies. Similarly, Regional Development Councils (RDCs) have begun to include concerns of the culture
sector.2 In 2017, strategies have been fleshed out into concrete actions and several significant initiatives have
been rolled out.

Less than a year since the PDP was approved, output targets in the Results Matrix were met or even
exceeded, with 19 agencies3 actively working as members of the Planning Committee. Other agencies are
taking part in the implementation of projects identified in the Public Investment Program 2017-2022. More
data will be available with the approval of the Philippine Cultural Statistics Framework (PCSF) and the
conclusion of studies in the coming years. Implementing and monitoring agencies will continue to work
closely to generate the baseline data for culture.

Valuing our diverse cultures

Intangible cultural heritage is being preserved. Digitization projects are underway to facilitate the
documentation and preservation of important information and materials for the benefit of present and future
generations. The effort includes documentation of indigenous knowledge systems and practices, language
revitalization, and film restoration.

Public access to cultural resources is being improved. Improvements include the modernization of
museums, waiving of entrance fees or requirements, upgrading of collections, and expansion of facilities,
among other projects in the pipeline. To promote Philippine culture abroad, Sentro Rizals are being
established in various host countries. The government also provides support for artists who would perform
or compete in prestigious events. Most notable for 2017 was the return of the Philippines to the Venice
Biennale after 50 years of absence to feature two artists. In 2016, Filipino films won major awards from the
top three A-list film festivals in the world: Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. The Philippines also participated in
international events. The country hosted the 1st Budayaw Festival to celebrate and promote the rich heritage
and cultural diversity of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. This was an initiative to harness
greater understanding and solidarity within ASEAN.

Schools of Living Traditions are being maintained. Through learning traditional forms of weaving, epic
chanting, architecture, rituals, and languages, the youth can find inspiration for greater creative innovation.

1 The Subcommittee on Culture was created on June 28, 2017. It is headed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts with the National
Economic and Development Authority as co-chair. Other members of the Subcommittee include: Office of the Cabinet Secretary, Department of
Tourism, Department of Education, Design Center of the Philippines, Commission on Higher Education, Presidential Communications Operations
Office, Film Development Council of the Philippines, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, and the Philippine Sports Commission.
2 Culture interests are raised at the RDCs through the existing SDC and the invitation of Culture sector representatives to discuss concerns. In 2017,
ten regions have started discussions on the creation of an RDC Subcommittee on Culture and initiated the invitation of culture sector representatives
to become members.
3 The agencies involved in submitting and providing data for the results matrix are: National Commission for Culture and the Arts, National
Economic and Development Authority, Philippine Statistics Authority, Design Center of the Philippines, Department of Education, Philippine
Information Agency, Civil Service Institute, Department of Interior and Local Government, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, National
Commission for Disability Affairs, Philippine Commission on Women, National Youth Commission, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, Cultural Center
of the Philippines, National Museum, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, National Archives of the Philippines, National Library of
the Philippines, and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

Chapter 07 Promoting Philippine Culture and Values | 51

 Advancing pagkamalikhain values of creative excellence
Effective interventions that encourage the cultivation of creative industries are being replicated.
Creativity in industrial design received a boost with the support of the Department of Trade and Industry
for the development of more local products.4 Government agencies also helped facilitate the application for
patents and copyrights of these products.5

In 2017, the international community recognized Philippine creativity when Baguio City was formally
included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network under the Crafts and Folk Art category. This is a major
milestone for the country.

The world saw a renaissance of Philippine cinema as creative genius in this art form when it was lauded
with 77 international awards received by Filipino artists. Public access to Filipino films was made possible
through regional cinematheques—Baguio, Manila, Iloilo, Davao, and Zamboanga—to provide an alternative
to commercial film theaters. Various film festivals also enhanced the promotion of Filipino cinema all over
the country, tackling different—often, socially relevant—themes with the participation of amateur and
professional filmmakers. Key film festivals that promote local films include CineLokal, Pista ng Pelikulang
Pilipino, and Cinemalaya, among others. Keeping this tradition alive, youth-led projects that promote
Filipino culture and creativity were launched, such as the Sine Kabataan.

Inculcating values for the common good

Studies are currently being undertaken to determine the corpus of values to be promoted. The National
Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) commissioned a study to define the corpus of Filipino values,
while NEDA has embarked on a study to establish mechanisms to quantitatively measure cultural values.

Capacity-building interventions for government employees are being rolled out. The Civil Service
Commission (CSC) approved the implementation of its Public Service Values Program to ensure values
inculcation among public servants across different levels. The program focuses on instilling a sense of
responsibility towards achieving national development.

Strengthening culture-sensitive governance and development

Several measures have been taken to institutionalize culture-sensitive governance. “Tourism, Culture and
the Arts” was included as a new essential area in the 2017 Guidelines for the Seal of Good Local Governance
of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). This is a good complement to the capacity-
building efforts for local government units to promote, protect, and enrich culture and heritage. Bigger steps
were also taken with the progress of draft legislations for the establishment of the Department of Culture at
both Houses of Congress. The proposed legislation is likewise being discussed within the Executive branch.

Various agencies have taken actions at conserving, restoring, and preserving built heritage. The old
Department of Tourism building was renovated to become the National Museum of Natural History.
Rehabilitation efforts for the Manila Metropolitan Theater is also ongoing while preliminary work and
studies for the establishment of culture hubs are in the pipeline.
4 Initiatives such as the One Town, One Product Philippines, Go Lokal!, and the National Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project were
largely responsible for this boost in achievements compared to the previous year.
5 The Philippines is compliant with the World Intellectual Property Organization requirements. Typically, applications for utility models take 5-15
months to award, while industrial designs typically take 2-13 months to finish.

52 | Socioeconomic Report 2017

Moving Forward
Despite the significant milestones achieved in 2017, the culture sector still has a long way to go in pursuing
and securing broader reforms to promote Philippine culture and values. The following strategies are critical
in increasing the level of cultural awareness, inculcating values for the common good, cultivating creativity,
and integrating culture in the development process of the government:

Establish mechanisms to measure, evaluate, coordinate, and consolidate efforts towards cultural
development. This is a formidable challenge for the culture sector—notwithstanding the commitment to
ensure its functionality and sustainability. In addition, the contribution of the culture sector in attaining the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may not be reflected because the relevant indicator, SDG 11.4.1
on public and private expenditure on preservation, protection, and conservation of all cultural and natural
heritage, is not monitored by the Philippine Statistics Authority.6

Encourage participatory and inclusive cultural development. Strategies to encourage and harness the
participation of other sectors in promoting culture need to be set in place, especially among government
agencies not directly involved with either culture or the arts. While achievements were made, particularly by
the Subcommittee on Culture at the national level and the existing mechanisms at the regional levels, it may
take more time and resources before the impact of the efforts of the culture sector can be felt.

A unique opportunity presented by this “Golden Age of Infrastructure” is for the culture sector to become
more closely involved with infrastructure agencies in the Build, Build, Build Program. This can be done
by encouraging the building of structures with iconic designs that can merit global recognition. Such
infrastructure projects could become icons of history and heritage that the public could access and appreciate.
Meanwhile, the drastic devastation to Islamic architectural heritage in conflict areas will require substantive
public investment. Rebuilding spaces of worship, symbolic of Muslim Filipino identity, will be a significant
step to rebuild communities in an era of peace.

Given the recent developments in Marawi, it is also important for the government to support madaris—
schools that teach basic tenets of Islam and Qur’an recitation to young Filipinos. The culture sector also
works to foster understanding of Islamic culture. The public needs to be engaged in constructive and
educational discussions about terrorism and needs to be able to make a distinction between acts of terrorism
and legitimate religious practices and traditions.

Pursue institutional reform. The creation of the Department of Culture,7 which is part of the legislative
agenda, is undergoing policy review by the stakeholders. This legislation seeks to respond to several structural
weaknesses of the culture sector by: (1) acquiring the mandate and resources to implement initiatives from
national to local levels, (2) rationalizing the overlapping functions among existing agencies, and (3) asserting
the regulatory powers as prescribed by law.8

Build culture hubs in the regions. Through the initiative of the NCCA, feasibility studies for building the
country’s first regional culture hub will be conducted to ensure its sustainable operation. This infrastructure
project will be pursued to foster access, exchange, and development of Philippine culture, as well as to expand
and promote tourism sites. Pieces of land have already been donated to NCCA by the local government units
of Sorsogon, Bukidnon, and Bohol to become possible sites for the culture hubs.
6
The indicator is classified as Tier 2, and its proxy indicator, defined as the NCCA budget, does not give the full picture. For the full description of
the indicator, visit: https://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-for-the-sustainable-development-goals/11-4-world-heritage
7
As of writing, drafts of this policy have been filed as Senate Bill 1528 and House Bill 6113
8
For example, the Republic Act 10066 (National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009) gives NCCA the power to regulate the repatriation of cultural
properties but given its current structure, it cannot fulfill this function.

Chapter 07 Promoting Philippine Culture and Values | 53

 Mainstream culture in development planning. An inter-agency initiative to be led by NEDA in cooperation
with NCCA and DILG is to mainstream culture to ensure that local development plans reflect local cultures.
Local government units will be made to understand the contributions of culture in achieving inclusive and
sustainable development through a series of studies, module development, and capacity-building activities.
This project will be implemented in phases throughout the medium-term.

Cultivate the creative industry. Just as manufacturing characterized the 19th and 20th centuries, the
Creative Economy9 Revolution is redefining 21st century economies. To keep up with the global shift, an
inter-agency initiative led by the Design Center of the Philippines proposes the “Nurturing the Philippine
Creative Industries Program”. The program aims to develop a thriving and globally-competitive creative
economy through key interventions in the following areas: Creative Cities, Creative Clusters, Creative
Education, and Creative Tourism. To allow the creative industry to thrive, a strong policy on protecting
intellectual property for creative works is necessary, supported by efforts to raise awareness on and inculcate
respect for Philippine culture and creative expression, to promote innovation rather than imitation, and to
develop an ethical mindset.

Provide skills development and social protection for artists and cultural workers. To ensure continuous
advancement, investment in human capital development in culture-related fields10 needs to be encouraged.
The government will continue to disburse grants and support artists through the National Endowment
Fund for Culture and the Arts. It is also important to protect the social welfare rights of artists and cultural
workers, many of whom are contractual workers.

Study indigenous cultures and foster a social, political, and economic environment to ensure inclusive
development. Roughly 14 percent of the national population belong to an indigenous cultural community,
majority of whom live in poverty. Towards this end, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples is
leading efforts to generate a comprehensive set of cultural data on indigenous peoples across the country.

Formulate evidence-based development strategies for cultural development. Baselining efforts will
continue to be pursued, including the ongoing studies on values for the common good. Results of the studies
will help shape succeeding interventions. Alongside these efforts, the public sector will have to undergo
capacity-building activities focusing on cultural development. Culture being a new development area and
being highly complex, it is important for agencies to be creative, adaptable, and responsive so as to be
effective in this aspect.

In order to effectively achieve the targets and goals of the sector, public investment needs to be channeled
into priority programs and projects.

9
The “creative economy” covers advertising, animation, film, television, radio, visual arts, performing arts, digital media, digital games, design
(product, fashion or graphic), and even culinary arts.
10
Included in this chapter’s agenda are the establishment of the following: Institute for Cultural Heritage Conservation of the Philippines, Kandungan
ng mga Wika at Kultura, Linangan ng Likhaang Bayan (National Institute for Living Traditions), regional arts academies, and more schools with
special programs in the arts.

54 | Socioeconomic Report 2017

Recommendations
In the coming years, it is expected that stronger partnerships and coordinating mechanisms will be
established between and among cultural agencies, other government agencies, civil society organizations,
and the private sector. Alongside the strategies discussed, recommendations in Table 7.1 should also be
considered.

Table 7.1 Supplemental Strategies to Promote Philippine Culture and Values

CHALLENGES RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES

• Securing resources (financial, personnel, infrastructure) to • Continue and expand cultural mapping across the All culture agencies
maintain, operate, and develop cultural assets country.
• Consolidating efforts in preserving and conserving • Digitize cultural properties (e.g. texts, film, visual
heritage arts).
• Increasing traffic into museums, libraries, or other cultural • Improve access to cultural services via
sites information and communications technology.
• Providing social protection and human resource • Create a registry for artists and cultural workers.
development to artists and cultural workers
• Capacitating local planners to design, formulate, and • Mainstream culture in development planning. NEDA
execute culture-related plans and programs • Commission policy papers for items under the
• Achieving smooth coordination among government legislative agenda.
agencies, especially those not directly involved with
culture or the arts
• Coordinating with decision makers for the formulation of
policies that support cultural development
• Establishing monitoring mechanisms to gather actionable • Conduct data audit in cultural agencies. PSA
data for culture • Design surveys based on the PCSF and results
matrix.

Chapter 07 Promoting Philippine Culture and Values | 55