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BACOLOD CITY – The City of Victorias in Negros Occidental has received a grant of PHP1.5 million from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to establish the “Victorias Sidlak Artists’ Park.”

Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez said receiving the award and the grant is another remarkable feat for the northern Negros city. 

“We can amplify more of our promotion of sustainable cultural and tourism development in the city, further cementing Victorias City as a true home of infinite potential where innovations and boundless opportunities are made,” Benitez said in a statement on Thursday.

The city is among the awardees of the nationwide “Lunsod Lunsad: A Call For Creative Proposals’ Program,” one of the only four from Western Visayas.

The Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Office submitted the Victorias Sidlak Artists’ Park project as an entry geared towards sustainable cultural and tourism development to feature local artists and thriving micro-businesses.

Through the initiative, the plan is to convert the right side of the plaza into an art district, giving artists a space to showcase their art installations, murals, and other works.

Micro-business owners will also have ample opportunity to exhibit their local goods and products.

The “Lunsod Lunsad” program is among the ongoing activities of the Philippine Creative Industries Month to celebrate Filipino creativity and innovation.

It is a national competition for local government units to submit their most innovative and creative project proposals focused on economic and cultural development. (PNA)