THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is eyeing to create an ecosystem for creatives to help them flourish under the new normal.
CCCI president Felix Taguiam said this sector has created countless job opportunities for many Filipinos and has served as income-generating prospects for locals.
But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of those who depend on these sectors have lost their source of income.
A report from the National Economic and Development Authority showed that the entertainment industry lands the top spot in the Top 10 hardest-hit business sectors caused by the pandemic.
“Although this is disheartening to hear, this also serves as a wakeup call for us in the business sector,” Taguiam said, in a forum that kicked off the Cebu Creative Entertainment Week (CEW) on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.
The CEW is one of the activities during the 2021 Cebu Business Month, an annual event organized by the CCCI.
Prior to the pandemic, Mel Allego, president of the Cebu International Film Festival, said the audiovisual sector which includes theatre, film and music accounts for almost seven percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
“Along with the closing of cinemas and the cancellation of gigs for our musicians, our creatives have to find ways to support themselves and keep making art,” said Mike Cubos, CCCI vice president for Cebu Business Mobilization.
Chris Millado, vice president and artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and director of Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, noted that the arts and culture sector was not ready for the health crisis.
The pandemic had resulted in the massive loss of livelihood among artists, production staff and related industry workers, Millado said.
He disclosed that at the CCP, at least 800 events were cancelled, affecting 3,000 artists, cultural workers and production staff. It also lost at least P90 million revenue in sales, on top of the revenue loss in venue rentals.