Paul Soriano: Marcos wants grants, cultural infrastructure to improve Philippine creative industry

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants to provide scholarships and build cultural infrastructure to develop the country’s creative industry sector, Presidential Adviser for Creative Communications Secretary Paul Soriano said Monday.

“The President has told me he wants to bring the scholarship, the grants, you know… he wants to be able to build more cultural infrastructure to help our artists, he was talking about creative communities, villages so that people can really create… especially those that we don’t have yet,” Soriano, a film director, said at a press conference, noting that in six years, there will be a new breed of artists.

Soriano, who was appointed as Presidential Adviser for Creative Communications on October 17, said he is challenged with his new post, saying that the creative industry and the political arena are “two different worlds.”

Soriano said he is eyeing to execute his plans by early next year, adding that he already has programs and plans for the creative industry.

“To be honest, I’m still learning as we know, creative and government are two different worlds. But there are similarities and I’m willing to embrace that,” Soriano said.

“October 17 to this day, I’ve been just really building my team, learning my way around bureaucracy of government and I plan to aggressively start executing January next year onwards. I ask for some time to set up and study so that I could, you know, creatively communicate what’s in the heart of the President. And he has told me many times, it’s really the creative industries… because that’s where I’m from…” he added.

Marcos earlier said Soriano would not be part of Malaca?ang’s “PR machine.”

According to the President, Soriano will push to improve the country’s creative industry and promote the talents of Filipinos. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News