WILL Ilonggo cooking catch the creative city citation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco)?
Iloilo City will try its luck to grab Unesco's coveted recognition in Gastronomy, one of seven creative fields that also include Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Literature, Media Arts and Music.
Mayor Jerry Treñas has eyed the city's entry to the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN), citing plans and preparations for the metropolis to achieve the prestigious title.
He hopes this global move will help promote Iloilo City to the rest of the world.
Created in 2004, UCCN fosters international cooperation within and across cities that have invested in culture and creativity as an accelerator of sustainable development.
They have a common mission: placing creativity and cultural industries at the core of their development strategies to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, according to its website.
As laboratories of ideas and innovative practices, recipient cities bring a concrete contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda through policy-making and grass-root projects promoting the participation of all stakeholders, including women, youth and vulnerable groups.
A city may be designated as such based on the contents, impact and outreach of its proposed action plan and its potential contribution.
It is in conformity with the procedure set following internal technical pre-screening and an external evaluation with Unesco-designated independent specialized experts and other sectors. (PR)