STAKEHOLDERS of Cebu’s creative sector are aiming to put Cebu on top again and position the island as “Cebu of Asia.” 

Yesterday, the group launched Cebu Design Week, an event led by Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation (CFIF), which aims to bring everybody from the creative sector in one platform to create, collaborate and cultivate, as well as raise awareness on sustainable business models.

The project is in partnership with the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) and co-presented by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Cebu Design Week will be a series of multi-format events on June 16 to 23, showcasing Cebu’s rich design and artistry, just in time for the celebration of Cebu Business Month.

Butch Carungay, ECCP’s business council chairman, said one of the goals of Cebu Design Week is to be a collective voice for Cebu’s design circuit and make the province’s innovative products shine brighter in the midst of technological advancement and the rise of other forms of competition.

Carungay pointed out that the market for traditional goods has changed, as consumers travel a lot and invest in technology.

“To remain relevant, we need to cross-collaborate and create synergies,” he said.

The team aspires to become the collective catalyst to transform the province from a linear economy (produce-consume-dispose) into a circular economy, where products and materials are repurposed, reused and upcycled to maximize yield before it becomes waste.

“This would take a long time to achieve, but that is how this project would bring us there,” said Carungay, adding that Cebu can become a leader of this circular economy on the back of its long track record in innovation.

CFIF marketing chair Christina Gaston said Cebu Design Week aims to open the value chain to all types of stakeholders in the creative sector. She emphasized it is not limited to furniture exporters, but also open to other industries like interior design, animation, architecture, and the like.

The officials said the outputs of Cebu Design Week will be included in the Cebu Project, an exhibit that showcases Cebu’s best export quality products. (KOC)

This article was originally published in SunStar Philippines on April 6, 2018