Dumaguete: Dumaguete and Quezon City’s inclusion in the UNESCO creative cities list is a reflection of the country’s efforts to advance sustainable urban development, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Tuesday. The United Nations agency announced on Oct. 31 the inclusion of 58 new members in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), which recognizes cities that promote creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development.

According to Philippines News Agency, ‘Dumaguete and Quezon City joined the prestigious international roster of creativity-driven urban cities, further cementing the country’s position as a champion of sustainable urban development,’ the DOT said in a statement. Quezon City, which earned the “Creative City of Film” distinction, is home to the country’s biggest film studios, broadcasting networks, and hosts the annual QCinema International Film Festival.

The DOT said the UNESCO citation further strengthens Quezon City’s position as the ‘country’s film capital and the heart of Philippine cinema.’ Dumaguete City, known for its long-standing literary heritage and vibrant community of writers and readers, was acknowledged as ‘Creative City of Literature.’ Dumaguete is home to Silliman University, which hosts the annual National Writers Workshop, the oldest creative writing workshop in Asia that has since produced generations of acclaimed Filipino authors.

It joins nine other cities honored for their contributions to literature, namely Aberystwyth in Wales; Abuja, Nigeria; Lund, Sweden; Celje, Slovenia; Conakry, Guinea; Gdansk, Poland; Kahramanmaras, Turkey; San Luis Potos­, Mexico; and Tangier, Morocco. The Philippines now has five cities in the UCCN, including the previously recognized Baguio City for Crafts and Folk Art (2017), Cebu City for Design (2019), and Iloilo City for Gastronomy (2023).

Since its launch in 2004, the UCCN has actively promoted human-centered urban living and governance, offering a wide range of cultural and creative activities to their citizens. At present, the network has eight creative fields: Architecture, Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music.