Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo shares with Philippine Embassy Hangout guests why the Philippines has the makings of a creative and cultural superpower. Photo by Stacy Garcia

19 November 2018 LONDON—Close to a hundred creative hub managers, social entrepreneurs, artists, and designers gathered at the Embassy to network, share ideas, and to discuss future collaborations to boost the Philippines’ creative economy during the first Philippine Embassy Hangouts organised by the Embassy’s Public and Cultural Diplomacy Section on 06 November. 

“In the United Kingdom, our Embassy tries to do its bit to support the efforts of young Filipinos in raising awareness on Filipino culture and the arts.  Our Cultural Diplomacy section has been actively forging collaborations with new partners such as museums, art galleries, universities, and independent movements.  We have become a meeting place for different people who are all eager to help others understand through the arts what it means to be Filipino,” said Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo.

Among the guests during the Hangout were the 15 creative innovators fellows who travelled from Manila to London to take part in the Creative Innovators Programme spearheaded by the British Council Philippines and the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Design Center.

“It is evidently clear to us at the Embassy that while maintaining strong political and economic ties between the Philippines and the United Kingdom remains a major component of our mandate, we must also take every opportunity to share with the world the outstanding elements of Filipino culture and arts,” said Ambassador Lagdameo.  “In so doing, we hope to tell the compelling story of the how the Philippines has the makings of a creative and cultural power.”

This year, the Philippine Embassy has strengthened its efforts in public and cultural diplomacy by creating platforms such as the Philippine Embassy Hangouts to bridge members of Philippine and British creative sectors as a first step towards forging strategic partnerships in the creative sector, particularly through people-to-people connections. END

Fifteen (15) Creative Innovators Fellows travelled from the Philippines to the United Kingdom to exchange best practices in managing creative hubs with their British counterparts in Manchester and London. L-R: Ma. Roma Agsalud-Agsunod (Common Room), Jodinand Aguillon (Pineapple Lab), Karla Maria Ana Batiquin (HoliCOW), Kenneth Biunas (Design Center of the Philippines), Regil Kent Cadavos (ASPACE), Gino Cariño (Makerspace Manila), Emi Englis (Artisanal Heritage Studies and Creative Enterprise Center), Maria Bianca Paula Holganza (HUB:MakeLab Escolta), Cherame Lopez (ANTHILL Fabric Gallery), Patricia Kyle Mendoza (Materials Innovation Center Cebu), Maria Diana Ofrasio (Craft MNL), Paul Orpiada (Karaw Craft Ventures), Don Senoc (Film Producers Society), Maria Unicka Sta. Ana (Zapateria), and Ian Tamara (Toon City Academy).