SPECIAL FEATURE - CULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A MEETING OF TWO BRILLIANT MINDS
Dita Sandico Ong (center) on her TEA Launch last February 2012 posing beside her creations made of indigenous fabrics.
These cultural entrepreneurs are testament to the growing economic potential of banking on culture and heritage and its sustainability as an enterprise.
Untapped Cultural Markets Despite many local industries finally gaining support from Filipino masses, there remains a lull in markets that can be further integrated with Filipino culture. To Dr. Zialcita, one of such markets is the fashion industry. Dita Sandico Ong is only one of the few designers recognized for showing Filipino artistry when it comes to clothing; other designers, though Filipino, tend to focus on foreign design and influence. Being a nation gifted with natural resources, indigenous materials local to the Philippines must be given equal importance and value in our industries. Another market to be improved on is the film and television industry. Dr. Zialcita expresses his disappointment in some travel shows which fail to show in authenticity and clarity what Filipino culture and heritage is about. To him, some shows tend to be “shallow, not exciting to watch” due to lack of formal research information and of cultural perspective. In creating culture and travel documentary shows, “one has to prepare for that; you show the different aspects of cultural heritage and not just do parachute filming.” In addition, more documentary films that attract tourists should be made.
assistance to artists is indicative of how the government does not take these artists and art forms seriously. Another challenge is the support for local industries. Local products must be given importance rather than imported goods, a phenomenon closely linked with the colonial mentality of Filipinos. This is an impediment for Philippine cultural heritage to be globally recognized and competitive as well. Of course, these challenges entail educating the greater Filipino mass in understanding and appreciating what is culturally theirs, for cultural entrepreneurship is somehow presently limited to its target audience: middle to the elite classes. These classes have been privileged to know more about their history and shared glories and defeats as a people, and this is something every Filipino should know too.
A Meeting of Two Brilliant Minds Finally, it can be said that Cultural Entrepreneurship is a meeting of two brilliant minds: that of the social sciences and the business sphere. In the case of the Loyola Schools, these minds are that of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology merged with the John Gokongwei School of Management. Together, these two schools not only provide cultural awareness to its students, but train them to be responsible, devoted and professional entrepreneurs able to make a positive and much needed change and difference in society. Truly, cultural entrepreneurship as a field in business is a great and promising avenue for staying true to the Atenean ideal of being professionals for others. SOURCES Cafe Ysabel. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2012, from Cafe Ysabel Website: http://www.cafeysabel.com FilAm, T. (2012, February 23). Pinay designer charms New York fashion world. Retrieved March 7, 2012, from GMA News Online: http:// www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/249125/pinoyabroad/pinaydesigner-charms-new-york-fashion-world
Challenges to Cultural Entrepreneurship
Nakpil-Zialcita, F. (n.d.). (M. Gabuya, Interviewer)
A challenge that faces cultural entrepreneurship in the Philippines is government support for local artists. The lack of financial
Youth TRiP. (2007). Retrieved March 7, 2012, from YTRiP Journeys: http://ytripjourneys.wordpress.com/
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