Photo: 2023 PCIM National Director and DTI Competitiveness Bureau Asst. Dir. Jo-Dann Darong and DTI Region 7 Central Visayas Regional Director Maria Elena Arbon with local creatives in Central Visayas, and Cebu-based creative Tribu Lumad Basakanon.

CEBU – DTI Region 7 Central Visayas launched “FiestaKucha Cebu” as a regional initiative by the DTI Philippines to celebrate the Philippine Creative Industries Month (PCIM), as declared under RA 11904, also known as the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act (PCIDA). This initiative serves as a platform to celebrate and promote local creatives across various regions in the country.

The project name, “FiestaKucha,” is a blend of the Filipino tradition of ‘fiestas’ and the Japanese storytelling style known as ‘pecha kucha.’ It aims to benefit local creatives and artists, contributing to both economic and cultural development.

Photo: In her welcome remarks, DTI 7 Regional Dir. Maria Elena Arbon stated that the launch marked the beginning of various events and activities showcasing creativity, artistic expression, and innovation. She expressed her pride in the local creatives and artists, and said that they have found a ‘home’.

The event encompasses conferences, learning sessions, exhibitions, makeathons, and competitions, demonstrating DTI’s commitment to nurturing the region’s creative industries in collaboration with creative communities, groups, leaders, and champions.

The launch also featured a fireside chat on the topic “Growing a Creative Industry Ecosystem in the Region,” with 2023 PCIM National Director and DTI Competitiveness Bureau Asst. Dir. Jo-Dann Darong, along with representatives from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including board of trustees Pedro Delantar Jr. and Mario Panganiban, as well as John Paul Chiongbian, Chair of the 2023 Cebu Business Months.

Photo: During the fireside chat, Asst. Dir. Darong encouraged local creatives to ‘trust the process’ and highlighted DTI’s efforts to promote the country as the primary ‘creative hub’ in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Photo: During the ‘PechaKucha’ segment of the launch event, local creative champions showcased their activities and initiatives, presenting three slides with three minutes of commentary each.

Activities announced under the FiestaKucha Cebu lineup include the Cebu Art Book Fair, Tubô Cebu Art Fair, Cebu Game Dev by the Beach, Writer Series, September Fever Music Talks, 48-Hour Film Marathon, Prelude Philippines Dance Competition, Creative Islands Fair by Cebu Literary Festival, Sketcha Kucha, and the FiestaKucha Conference.

DTI 7 also aligned its programs under the FiestaKucha celebration, including the launch of a One Town, One Product (OTOP Philippines) Hub in Ayala Center Cebu and a fabrication laboratory (Fablab) under its Shared Service Facilities (SSF) program in partnership with TESDA, both on September 26.

The month-long celebration focuses on cultural exchange, collaboration, support for emerging artists and creatives, creative entrepreneurship, and community engagement. It is expected that an impressive number of artists, visitors, viewers, and enthusiasts ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 will attend the diverse events and activities hosted at multiple locations throughout the festival.

FiestaKucha Cebu marks the first event of DTI Philippines for the PCIM celebration, to be followed by events in Davao City and Baguio City.

The launch event on Friday, September 08 was held at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Cebu City, and was graced with presentations of Cebu-based creative Tribu Lumad Basakanon, champion in the international category of the Powerful Daegu Festival in Daegu, South Korea in 2022. ♦

Date of release: 11 September 2023

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