THE Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective, Inc. (BACCI) was formed “to help the city in supporting and giving value to artists and their arts and to create a community that will shelter and encourage them.”

Furthermore, it provides a platform for creatives to cooperate, coordinate and share to support Baguio in its title as one of Unesco’s creative cities.

In relation to this agenda, the very first Baguio Creatives’ General Assembly was held last March 16 at the University of the Philippines Baguio Sarmiento Hall. Over 90 artists from diverse forms of art in the city were present to share their thoughts in this endeavor. Dean Arellano Colongon, Jr. of the University of the Philippines Baguio facilitated the forum.

As reiterated, BACCI is an open and non-exclusive group. It is non-hierarchical. BACCI encourages self-management and self-regulation by artists and creatives. All of which ultimately foster all artists into achieving greater creativity and innovation.

The primary concern as of the moment is to create a physical and permanent creative space and to support and sustain the undertaking of various players in the arts and crafts through specific suggestions and activities that were raised during the assembly. A dialogue between the BACCI creatives and city government takes place this March to further strengthen these objectives.

Information lifted during the BACCI General Assembly headed and graced by Adelaida Lim Perez and Maricar Docyogen in cooperation with the local city government. Photos by Jovi Ganongan, Venus Navalta and Osharé.

(drbrendaleeavillanueva@ymail.com)