Filipino designers remain highly prized and sought­ after allover the globe, a local expert isn't sold on the fanfare, and remains defiant that the Filipino designer still has a lot to learn regarding originality and history of their individual spheres of specialization."Everything has been copied or altered by everyone. They just make some slight changes and claim it as their very own. Many creations are now similar and resemble commodities instead of designs," Butch Carungay strongly opined at the sidelines of the three ­day "Criss crossings:Creative Convergence" event headed by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP)—Cebu chapter and the Materials Innovation Centre (MIC). Carungay is the president of MATIC, a repository of material swatches and resources situated within the ECCP office in Banilad,Cebu. As a hub for Cebu s creative community,it is also avenue of inspiration for design industries,a link to materials and design experts,and access to technology suppliers.He is also the brains behind District 32 at the Mactan Airport, Avatar Designs Group,Avatar Fashion Jewelry, Cafe Cesario, Zai,La Bella Pizza Bistro, Urban Surf, Vernaculo,among others.Other artistic qualms Carungay also said that everything has been democratized now and nothing is truly Filipino in nature. Originality has been blended into the ordinary, resulting in a commercialized and common appearance. "The problem also is that the artist does not do enough research in his craft. They just design something and claim it as their very own. For example, a particular chair design of the present is just an offshoot from a 1940s counterpart. Many claims of the present are just trademarks of the past," he added.Regarding the needed qualities of the Filipino designer, he pointed out to perseverance and resourcefulness on their part in order to polish their craft and fully maximize their potentials.But more than anything, government support is critical to ensure that the designer is assured of back­ up to sustain his craft.Although Filipino artists are still recruited for their creativity, very few stakeholders recognize genuinely original designs that are devoid of past and present influences. According to them, it takes a lot of time and effort to come up with such designs that can also attract a global following.And amidst dwindling export figures, one does need to become extra­ creative in order to stand out from the rest and not wilt in face of cutthroat global competition and design piracy. Effects of 'Creality' Carungay also dwelt on the topic of "Creality"or "Creative Reality" which refers to where the present circumstances define the negative situation surrounding the creative industry as a whole.In his presentation during a Criss crossing event, he cited figures from Trademap that portrayed the country lagging far behind other Asian countries in terms of export volume output from 2001­2016 in various export categories such as furniture, fashion jewelry, ceramics, etc.During that 15­ year period, Philippine furniture output grew by only five percent.While that of Vietnam grew by 2734 percent,China by 1058 percent, and India's by 2369 percent.Other countries recorded smaller increases such as Thailand by 29 percent and Indonesia at 16 percent.The fashion jewelry industry had Vietnam far ahead with an astounding 42,362 percent growth mark. Other frontrunners were India with 526 percent, China at 883 percent, Thailand at 492 percent, and Indonesia at 160 percent.The Philippines produced a paltry ­11percent growth rate for the same period.Cebu struggles Carungay also added that the Cebu FurnitureIndustries Foundation Inc. (CFIF) has lost nearly three­ fourths of its membership,as its members have opted to venture into other industrial fields due to decreasing revenues for the past several years. Same goes for the Fashion Accessories Manufacturers andExporters (FAME­ Cebu) where over two thirds of its members have flocked to greener pastures."Cebu has long lost its tag as 'the Milan of Asia.' This held true until the 90s when our local furniture shows attracted dozens of international buyers. We don't know if we can recover from the present scenario," he sighed.Still, the speaker offered some words of encouragement for independent creative entrepreneurs amidst today's "creality.""There will always be room for individuality and self­ expression despite the existence of certain macro­ trends that suggest that a global design aesthetic is fast developing. The main challenge for contemporary designers is how to express one's originality and skills while remaining consistent with international trends, and more importantly, compelling in the marketplace," he concluded.Held last Jan. 12­14, Criss crossings is a three­ day gathering celebrating creative entrepreneurship,art, design, and culture maker in Cebu. The event is headed by Create Cebu,a team of art­ loving individuals who are passionate about urban revitalization and reclamation through art in all forms.Criss crossings intends to portray Cebu as an Asean destination for culture and the arts as well as contribute to its chances of being recognized as a UNESCO Creative City.