Lawrence Panganiban of Enigma Kai said the creative industry in the province has begun to flourish, and the establishment of the Creative District would be “monumental” as it could potentially attract large-scale industry investors from abroad, such as animation studios from Japan and production houses from the United States.
“It couldn’t be in a better place. If you think about it, we are so beautifully positioned,” Panganiban, chairman of the Cebu Business Months’ committee on creative entertainment, told SunStar Cebu on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
“We are in the center of the country, we have easy access to all Visayas and Mindanao. That gives us access to all the talent in these places.”
Plan
The Cebu City Government is planning to build the Creative District at the North Reclamation Area due to the availability of large warehouses in the area that can be converted into studios.
The City Planning and Development Office previously stated that the area is intended to host Knowledge Process Outsourcing enterprises that will focus on innovation, creativity and digital transformation.
The establishment of the Creative District is also part of the city’s Waterfront Development Plan.
In addition to concerts being hosted in Cebu since the pandemic was lifted, top-rated movies are produced by Cebuanos every year, according to Panganiban.
Panganiban further said they expect the Creative District to become the home of graphics, animation, production art, sound engineering, digital design, content creation and studios, among others.
Bryan Yap, co-chairman of the CBM’s committee on creative entertainment, said Cebu is already a renowned center for art as one of the top exporters of furniture in the country.
This creativity is just the tip of the iceberg for Cebu as Yap said that this creativity can be shifted towards animation, design, product design and entertainment.
“The Creative District will play a major role because we need to have that infrastructure as a foundation,” said Yap.
Panganiban added that the district will also demonstrate to local and national investors that the creative industry is a viable venture where profits can grow.
Film location
Should the Creative District push through, he also expects Cebu to be a hot spot for film productions, which will benefit local government units that are used as set locations.
In 2022, the Hollywood production of Amazon’s “Amazing Paradise” was shot in multiple locations in Cebu, opening a new market for local businesses whose products were needed in the production.
Meanwhile, CBM has scheduled a series of activities from September to October to bring together the creative entertainment business and discuss the challenges of the industry and how to address these.
The Creative Business Talk will be held on Sept. 13, See Cebu will be held from Oct. 20 to 22, Anime Cebu on Oct. 21, and Baicon on Oct. 28.
CBM’s creative entertainment activities aim to share ideas and best practices on how to grow the industry here in Cebu.