It is February and the whole country is celebrating National Arts Month. This being an election year, perhaps, this is a good time to remind our politicians running for office to take culture and arts seriously and demand that they include that in their priority agenda.
Culture and arts are the lifeblood of any society, reflecting its values, history, and aspirations. They shape identity, foster creativity, and promote social cohesion. But despite their profound importance, culture and arts often struggle to thrive without financial and institutional support.
That is why we need government to make culture and arts a priority.
While they are universally recognized as essential to human expression, identity, and creativity, they often take a backseat to other pressing issues such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and national security.
One of the primary reasons culture and arts are not a government priority is the perception that they do not contribute significantly to immediate economic growth. While the creative industries do generate substantial revenue and employment in the long term, their impact is often less visible and slower to materialize compared to sectors like manufacturing, technology, or health.
For a developing nation like the Philippines, the focus is on industries that promote quick returns or address urgent needs like poverty alleviation and job creation. And for corrupt politicians, who sadly dominate our government these days, they have not yet discovered how to quickly enrich themselves by supporting culture and arts programs. Thus, for now, they are considered non-essential.
Also, government priorities are often shaped by political cycles and need to deliver visible results within a limited timeframe. Elected officials are incentivized to focus on policies that yield quick wins and can be easily communicated to voters. Besides, it may be challenging to put a politician’s face and name all over a historical landmark or an important cultural property.
Culture and arts, by their very nature, require long-term investment and patience to see their full impact. This misalignment with political timelines makes it difficult for the government to prioritize cultural initiatives as their benefits may not be realized within their term of office.
The globalization and homogenization of culture have also led to underinvestment in local culture and arts, as resources are directed toward industries that align with global economic trends. Because of this trend, local traditions and artistic expressions are overshadowed by dominant global cultures, particularly from the West.
With the Philippines still struggling with a lot of baggage from its colonial past, our national government’s neglect of our culture and arts has historical and institutional roots. Filipinos have been trained by our colonizers to reject our indigenous traditions and expressions of our identities. They want us to patronize and promote Western culture and arts. We are, after all, easier to manipulate and bend to their will if we think and act like our colonial masters.
I strongly believe that part of promoting our independence and resilience as a nation is shifting the way we view culture and arts as nonessential or secondary to viewing them more as public goods and, therefore, a priority.
Culture and arts contribute to national identity and pride. They document historical narratives, celebrate diversity, and provide a shared sense of belonging. Without government support, many cultural traditions and art forms, especially those that are not commercially viable, could disappear.
Unlike commercial products, which are driven by profit, many forms of art and cultural heritage do not generate enough revenue to sustain themselves. Market-driven forces tend to favor mainstream, commercialized culture, often sidelining smaller, independent, or culturally significant artistic traditions.
Museums, theaters, historical sites, and performing arts groups often rely on ticket sales, donations, and sponsorships, but these are not always sufficient. Government funding helps bridge this gap, ensuring that a variety of artistic and cultural endeavors continue to flourish. It also helps preserve and promote cultural diversity by supporting indigenous arts, traditional crafts, and other unique art forms.
Culture and arts play a crucial role in education and social development. They foster creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence — all essential elements of a well-rounded education. Many studies show that students engaged in arts programs perform better academically and develop essential life skills. Government funding ensures that cultural education is accessible to all, not just to those who can afford it.
Beyond their intrinsic value, culture and arts have enormous potential to generate revenues for any city or country. The creative industries generate billions of dollars and create millions of jobs worldwide. Tourism, a major economic sector, often relies on historical and cultural landmarks, museums, festivals, and artistic performances to attract visitors.
Investing in culture and arts stimulates local economies, encourages entrepreneurship and innovation, and enhances international reputation. Paris, London, and New York thrive as global cultural hubs because of their respective government’s consistent investments in cultural infrastructure, preservation, and innovation. They recognize the economic power of the arts so they view government funding for culture and arts not as an expense but an investment in long-term development.
Davao City is on the right track by making a long-term investment in culture and arts through the creation of the new Office for Culture and the Arts under the City Mayor’s Office. With the appointment of former National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Executive Director Oscar G. Casaysay as its inaugural head, Davaoeños are looking forward to making our city’s culture and arts community vibrant, inclusive, and accessible to all.
We thank Councilors Pilar C. Braga and Al Ryan Alejandre for leading the policy formulation in the City Council to make this landmark legislation possible. We also thank our Vice-Mayor Jay Quitain, a visual artist, for his full support of the ordinance. Most of all, we thank Mayor Baste Duterte, who is an artist himself, for delivering on his promise to make this a reality before his term ends.
A permanent office for culture and arts with a regular budget and an endowment fund for local artists, artisans, and cultural workers plus appointing a very capable artist and cultural manager to lead it make National Arts Month 2025 truly historical and meaningful for the City of Davao.
