THE Cebu Creative Entertainment Council (CCEC) is set to present anew to Cebu’s new city leadership its ambitious roadmap to transform the city into a creative hub for the Visayas, targeting a P30-billion industry by 2030.
Mario Panganiban, CCEC president, said the group is pushing for the establishment of a dedicated Creative District—with “Silver City” as its flagship project, that will serve as a live-work-play-and-learn ecosystem for artists, animators, game developers, and other creative professionals. Once the necessary approvals are secured, the council hopes to begin work on the project by 2026.
“Our primary objective is very simple: to grow. Cebu can become a go-to place for the creative industry if we continue building on what we started,” Panganiban told industry stakeholders at the Creative Entertainment Business Forum on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, at Montebello Villa Hotel. The event formed part of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Cebu Business Months activities.
First laid out in 2023, the plan gained traction the following year when the Cebu City Government began seeking investments for the Creative District. Then acting mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia pitched the project to the Department of Trade and Industry in 2024, positioning it as a 150-hectare mixed-use development with an estimated P10-billion infrastructure investment.
Now, CCEC is reviving the plan for a renewed presentation to Cebu’s current leadership to secure alignment and policy support. Silver City, the district’s anchor project, is envisioned as a 200,000-square-meter mixed-use complex designed to house studios, shared services, learning facilities and entertainment spaces.
Panganiban said Cebu has already gained momentum, citing the entry of foreign and domestic locators, including a German game development studio and several Manila-based firms. Two US studios are also expected to open branches soon. He pointed to Cebu’s competitive advantages—lower operating costs, a growing talent pool, and a balanced lifestyle as key drivers for investment.
“Invest in Cebu and you will profit in paradise,” he added.
Patterned after the success of Cebu IT Park, the proposed Creative District will cover 150 hectares within the North Reclamation Area and is designed to attract investment across film, design, fashion, and digital arts.
CCEC currently covers seven sectors: animation, game development, original intellectual property (IP), social media, theater, film and music.
Hurdles
Despite progress, Panganiban acknowledged hurdles. Funding remains the biggest challenge, prompting the council to explore partnerships with banks to promote venture capital over traditional loans. Plans are also underway to provide shared service facilities such as legal, accounting and IT support—to ease the burden on startups.
He underscored the need for consistent government incentives, citing those already accessible to Manila-based firms. While Cebu’s electricity costs are now lower than in Manila, he said they remain a sensitive factor for investors. Other gaps include limited mentorship and language barriers in collaborations with Japanese partners.
To build a stronger workforce, CCEC is expanding academe-industry linkages to align university curricula with employer needs. To counter brain drain, it is pushing a “brain gain” initiative aimed at attracting Filipino creatives abroad to return home with competitive salaries. Early talks with industry professionals overseas suggest many are willing to come back if pay levels are within 30–40 percent of global rates.
Beyond Cebu City, the group is also working with local governments in Danao, Bogo, Carcar, Bohol, Siargao, Ormoc, Dumaguete and Siquijor to establish satellite creative hubs, with Cebu serving as the “super hub.”
Amid the challenges, Panganiban remains optimistic. “When we were small, nobody really minded us. Now we are getting recognized in Singapore, Indonesia and Japan. The thing is, we have to keep on growing,” he said.
With Silver City, stronger academe-industry ties and financing reforms, the council is betting that Cebu can secure a bigger share of the global creative economy and position itself as Southeast Asia’s next creative capital. / KOC