House to file bill creating Department of Arts and Culture
MANILA, Philippines — On the 132nd day since the enhanced community quarantine, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano disclosed that the lower chamber would be filing a bill establishing a Department of Arts and Culture within the week.
"This week the house leadership is filing a bill that will establish the Department of Arts and Culture so that instead of being a casualty of COVID-19, Filipino creativity and artistry will be an integral part of our arsenal for recovery," Cayetano said as the House second regular session began on Moday.
"In the face of an evolving enemy and a fluid battleground, Congress needs to continue to Adapt, Innovate, and Manage if we are to stay above water until a vaccine or a cure is found," he also said.
Despite the country still under the world's longest quarantine, this also comes amid a bid by lawmakers to also rename the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to the Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Pilipinas.
Earlier, Cayetano also mentioned that South Korea invested in its entertainment industry which eventually became vital in the growth of its economy.
Cayetano's initial proposal came just days after the lower chamber voted to junk the franchise application of ABS-CBN Corp., a major source of culture and entertainment for most Filipinos, which the House Speaker himself admitted having personal grievances with.
'House did well'
Although not explicitly mentioning the company, Cayetano alluded to its shutdown as he urged the public to move on instead of staying fixated on the past.
"Everything from this point on should no longer be about recapturing the past. Let's not chase yesterday. I expect that the very notion of someone telling you to move on, is offensive and hurtful. There is nothing we can say that is not insensitive," Cayetano said Monday.
"That was not our intention. Please believe us that we understand your grief. We can't afford to be weak — not at this time. I take comfort in the president's firm but fatherly hand," he added.
The House Speaker also pointed out that Congress "did well"—despite sending 11,000 into unemployment mid-pandemic—because it was already concerned with the coronavirus pandemic "as early as January."
The new pathogen was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December. In late January, Cayetano urged the public to stop spreading false information and hate campaigns against Chinese people as he supported the president's temporary travel ban on travelers from China's Hubei province.
Duterte at the time said a ban on China as a whole would be "xenophobic" and have diplomatic consequences.
"Hand in hand with this, we must look towards revitalizing the Philippine creative industry, once the envy of Asia, but now a mere shadow of its former glory," Cayetano said.
— Video from House PIO; Video editing by Philstar.com/Erwin Cagadas
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