Stakeholders urged: Learn from Korea, Japan example

Stakeholders in the creative industries in Cebu should learn from the experience of South Korea and Japan.

Henry Schumacher, vice president for external affairs of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), gave this advice to businessmen and participants in the 1st Creative Industries Summit at the City Sports Club at Cebu Business Park.

Schumacher cited the private sectors’ role in the booming music, entertainment and cultural industries of these countries.

He said the private sector in Japan and South Korea were active in funding the industries or the people who showed promise in the sector such as artists and singers.

“Perhaps in Cebu we can ask Aboitiz and other private entities to support the creative industries in Cebu,” he said.

He also cited the need for synergy between the information technology and the business process outsourcing (BPO) industries as a way to improve our creative industry.

He said these synergize or interlink the two industries especially in the case of programmers and in the field of designing.

Schumacher also called on the industry stakeholders to go out and sell their products or services and not wait for clients to come to them.

Lawyer Ricardo Blancaflor of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines cited the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) survey for the industry’s promise to be a driver of Cebu’s economy and the importance of protecting the industry.

Blancaflor, who attended yesterday’s summit, said the WIPO survey showed that 4.82 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2003 came from revenues generated by the copyright industries.

He called on the public to contribute to the protection of the creative industries.

He also said that for creativity to become an industry, it had to promote trade and generate jobs.

He said creativity had to be translated to commercialization so the practical value of the intellectual property rights should be understood.

The summit, organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry as one of the month-long activities of the 2011 Cebu Business Month, brought together stakeholders in the industry such as the Creative Cebu Council and individuals from the various fields of the creative industries.

The Department of Trade and Industry officials also attended the summit where these industry stakeholders shared their knowledge, experiences and best practices.

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, who attended the summit, said she approved the moves to strengthen the industry, as it will drive employment and stabilize the local economy of Cebu.