(L to R) DTI Usec. Nora Terrado, Nestlé Philippines Senior Vice President for Marketing, Communication, and Innovation Paolo Mercado, Vice Dean at the Shanghai School of Creativity Professor John Howkins, Senior Associate of the Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy Andrew Erskine, Director of Arts and Creative Industries—East Asia Katelijn Verstraete, and founder/director of Design for Ministry of Design (Singapore) Colin Seah

The credibility of culture and art as a driving force for sustainable development and urban regeneration was given due emphasis during the opening panels for the 2017 ASEAN Creative Cities Forum and Exhibition recently held at the BGC Arts Centre in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Part of the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) currently being hosted in the Philippines, the event is an initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Design Centre of the Philippines. 

In his welcome address, DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez stated, “The ASEAN region has its creative strength in place, founded on the rich artistic capital of its people. The goal is to channel these assets into innovation, employment, and trade opportunities for free-flowing collaboration, exchange, and trade among the ASEAN countries, intended for the development of a unique and creative ASEAN.”

Lopez’s sentiments were echoed throughout a panel held for the media which featured DTI undersecretary Nora Terrado, Professor John Howkins who authored the best-selling The Creative Economy: How People Make Money from Ideas, Nestlé Philippines’ Senior Vice-president for Marketing, Communication, and Innovation Paolo Mercado, and Singaporean architect Colin Seah of the firm Ministry of Design.

The two-day exhibition and forum will run on 26 and 27 April 2017