A special House Committee that will push for the welfare and development of the creative industry, culture and the arts was unanimously approved Tuesday, Oct.6., at the House of Representatives.
The newly-minted Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts will be chaired by Rep. Christopher de Venecia (4th Dist., Pangasinan) with Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez (4th District, Leyte) as vice chairman.
De Venecia hails this move by the Lower House as a triumph for the workers in the creative industry whose scope is massive and vast.
Some of the sectors in the creative industry are those who work for Live Events, Fashion Design, Film and Television, Music, Software and Game Development, Animation, Furniture Design, Gastronomy, Cultural Heritage, Architecture, Communications Design, Interior Design, Advertising, Book Publishing, Print and Digital Media, Visual Arts, the Performing Arts, among others.
The creative industry is worth fighting for, said De Venecia. “It does contribute greatly in pump-priming the country’s economy. Moreover, the Filipino workers also “play an important role in the creative evolution of the Philippines, as they influence the national consciousness. A cohort even, in efforts to address social issues,” he said.
Among the members of this new House Committee are: Reps. Cristal Bagatsing (5th Dist., Manila), Lianda Bolilia (4th Dist., Batangas), Len Alonte (Lone Dist. of Biñan City), Ria Vergara (3rd Dist., Nueva Ecija), Sol Aragones (3rd Dist., Laguna) and Yul Servo Nieto (3rd Dist., Manila).
The Committee is wholly supported by a political aggrupation in Congress, called ACCIB (Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Bloc). This group, also led by De Venecia, has 40 members, six of whom are Deputy Speakers: Rose Marie “Baby” Arenas (3rd Dist., Pangasinan), Evelina Escudero (1st District, Sorsogon), Dan Fernandez (1st District, Laguna), Loren Legarda (Lone Dist. of Antique), Deogracias Victor Savellano (1st Dist., Ilocos Sur) and Vilma Santos-Recto (6th District, Batangas).