• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod has urged Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to convene the Bacolod Arts and Culture Council.
The resolution authored by Councilor Em Ang said Republic Act No. 10924 mandates the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure the establishment of the local council to strengthen the Local Government Units (LGUs) as a cultural institution, its obligations prescribed in the National Culture Heritage Act of 2009 are hereby rationalized as one of the functions of the Local Culture and Arts Council.
City Ordinance No. 413, or the “Ordinance Establishing the Arts Council of Bacolod City and Mandating An Annual Arts and Culture Program in the City of Bacolod”, was enacted last September 14, 2006, to comply with DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2002-18 which mandates LGUs for the creation of the Local Culture and Arts Council and to preserve, promote and propagate Bacolod and Filipino cultural values and arts among its citizenry, it said.
City Ordinance No. 1002 was passed last July 17, 2022, amending City Ordinance No. 413 which updated the composition of the membership of the Bacolod Arts and Culture Council, the resolution said.
DILG Memorandum Circular No., 2017-133 reiterates and enjoins all cities and municipalities to legislate for the establishment of a Local Culture and Arts Council, implement related projects, and/or strengthen existing ones thereafter, it said.
The resolution said Bacolod City is endowed with various tourism enterprises, including, but not limited to, historical and heritage sites, religious icons, and other tourism attractions, hotels, and convention centers, which, if promoted and properly managed, could be tapped as prime economic boosters of the city through sustainable community-based social enterprise, cultural, historical and agri-eco tourism.
It is crucial for the city to convene the Local Culture and Arts Council of Bacolod not just to comply with the national law, but to also implement projects and programs that will stimulate cultural awareness and develop the rich arts industry of the city, it added.*
