IMEE: ARTISTS, INNOVATORS CAN HELP REVIVE THE ECONOMY

Imaginative ideas to help revive the country's economy may come from artists and other producers of creative work, Senator Imee Marcos said, supporting their call for government aid.

"Our economic managers should start seeing creative work as viable industries, not just public diversions or dispensable forms of entertainment," Marcos said.

From animators recognized by Disney to innovative chefs making the Philippines a culinary destination in Asia, Filipino ingenuity has shown economic potential that needs government support, Marcos added.

"Forbes has just recently predicted that the Philippines will become a hit among tourists when the fear of Covid-19 passes. We need to get organized so that various forms of creative work enhance tourism and possibly even develop as export industries on their own," Marcos said.

Marcos has been pushing to set up a Creative Industries Development Council through Senate Bill 411 to develop, protect and commercialize original Filipino content.

The bill also aims to secure the exclusive rights to intellectual property not just of artists but also of scientists, inventors, and other creative citizens.

"Filipino inventors have come up with a gas-free vehicle and a purifier for polluted water but haven't gone farther than being in a news story," Marcos noted.

According to the Marcos bill, the creative industries comprise advertising and marketing; animation and game development; architecture and interior design; broadcast arts including film, television, radio, and photography; information technology, software and computer services; publishing; museums, galleries, and libraries; heritage crafts and activities including gastronomy; music and performing arts; visual arts; product, graphic, and fashion design.

Marcos's soft spot for artists and creative work harks back to her time as director general of the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines and producer of the local film classic "Himala," which CNN and the Asia-Pacific Screen Awards named Best Asia-Pacific Film of All Time in 2008, ahead of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" and Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

"Creative people are among the most industrious of workers and deserve government support. They toil beyond normal work hours sometimes to the point of exhaustion, moved by pure inspiration and passion," Marcos said.