UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES NETWORK

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

2019
Application Form

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UNESCO CREACREATIVE CITIES NETWORK
2019 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

APPLICATION FORM

Please note that word limits in the Form are enforced and that it will not be possible to enter
more text once the limit is reached. Using the “Word Count” function will facilitate this
process.

The form Cession of Rights and Register of Photos in the annex hereto shall also be duly
completed.

1. NAME OF CITY:

Portoviejo.

2. COUNTRY:

Ecuador

3. CONTACTS:

3.1 Mayor of the City

Title (Mr/Ms):Mr.
Family name: Casanova
First name: Agustín
Address: Av. Metropolitana Km 2/1 vía a Manta
Telephone number: +593993974616
Email address: agustin.casanova@portoviejo.gob.ec

3.2 Representative of the Mayor

The representative will facilitate the communication between the Mayor (the Municipality),
and the UCCN Secretariat and provide political support to the designated “Main executive
contact” of the city (see point 3.3).

Title (Mr/Ms): Mr.

Family name: Santana
First name: Fabián
Institution/function: Municipality de Portoviejo
Status/type of institution: Decentralized Autonomous Government
Address: Av. Metropolitana Km 2/1 vía a Manta
Telephone number: +593993974616
Email address: fabian.santana@portoviejo.gob.ec
Other important information: Director of Culture.

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 3.3 Main executive contact

The main executive contact will be the focal point of the city for all communication and
coordination concerning the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. This person should belong to
the unit or structure executing and managing the designation. In case of the city’s
designation, this person should be officially designated by the Mayor or competent municipal
authorities (see point 10.4).

Title (Mr/Ms): Mr.

Family name: Fabián
First name: Bedón
Institution/function: Jaboncillo Research and Investigation Center
Status/type of institution: Cultural patrimony research
Address: Picoazá
Telephone number: +593984283656
Email address: fabian.bedon@gmail.com
Other important information: Facilitator in the UNESCO Convention of 2003

3.4 Alternative contact

The alternative contact will provide support and backup to the “Main executive contact”.

Title (Mr/Ms): Mr.

Family name: Alberto
First name: Miranda
Institution/function: Strengthening the Manabita Identity
Status/type of institution: NGO
Address:
Telephone number: +593992832275
Email address: identidadmanabita@gmail.com
Other important information: Responsible for content and interinstitutional coordination in the
elaboration of this application

4. CREATIVE FIELD:

Please choose only one between: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature,
Media Arts, and Music [Click on the drop-down menu].

5. GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE CITY:

Presentation of the main geographical, demographic, cultural and economic characteristics

of the city; mode of governance, principal cultural facilities and infrastructures, international
connections, etc. (1500 characters maximum).

The city of Portoviejo is the capital of the coastal province of Manabí, in the central, coastal
region of Ecuador, with an area of 967 km2 (96,756 has). It has a population of 280,029
inhabitants, 70% of which are mestizos, 20% are "montuvios,” an ethnic group with greater
presence in this city within the nation, and 10% are whites, descendants of Germans,
Spaniards and Italians. Portoviejo is located 355 km from Quito and 35 km from a Pacific
ocean, port and an international airport. There are two defined seasons: a rainy season from
January to April, and a dry season from May to December; the average temperature
throughout the year is 26°C. It has a river basin that is composed of lowland mountain
ranges, with the Portoviejo River that flows into the Pacific Ocean, therefore its cultural and

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economic system is developed in this natural context. Furthermore 35% of the economically
active population is engaged in fishing and trade, 15% in agriculture, another 15% in cultural
industries, especially gastronomy and handicrafts, and the rest in other activities. Portoviejo
is governed by an autonomous and decentralized municipality, with a budget of 121 million
dollars per year, 80% of which is destined to the reconstruction of the city, after the
devastating earthquake that took place on April 16, 2016, which brought human and
economic losses of around 2 billion dollars in the province of Manabí. (1417 characters)

6. MAIN DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE CITY –

USING CREATIVITY AS A DRIVER FOR ACTION:

Every city is unique and pursues its own objectives according to its particular context and
priorities. In this section, candidate cities are invited to explain how they consider that culture
and creativity – particularly in the creative field concerned – can act as a driver for identifying
opportunities and challenges, and then proposing interventions that seek to maximize the
potential of the creative field concerned for sustainable urban development and mitigate and
resolve the challenges they face (1200 characters maximum).

Portoviejo has made a series of efforts ranging from the construction of public urban spaces,
markets and updated slaughterhouses, to the implementation of measures to safeguard food
processes such as fishing, as well as obtaining agro-ecological products based on traditional
knowledge of the bioregion of the Portoviejo River Basin and the respective innovative
preparation thereof, incentivized to undertake such efforts, and innovate, in traditional
kitchens in conjunction with public-private partnership. As a result of this comparative,
competitive and creative advantage of its inhabitants, Portoviejo is transforming into a
resilient, organized, sustainable city, identified by their gastronomy and innovative
processes, declared a national cultural heritage in 2018. These innovations took into
account the recommendations of UNESCO, in the post-disaster evaluation in 2016, in which
the "damages and losses identified in culture were worth 39 million dollars due to the
earthquake, therefore ventures in cultural industries could be a strategic line for resilience
and sustainable recovery ". (1101 caracteres)

7. GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND POLICIES:

Presentation of the city’s main and global development strategies and policies, particularly
those in line with the international development agendas, such as the United Nations’ 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development (1000 characters maximum).

Portoviejo’s management model considers strategies in mobility, security, equity, sustainable

development and urban law up to 2035. This plan has allowed the city to negotiate resources
from international cooperation as well as reimbursable loans for the value of reconstruction,
in accordance with SDGs 1 and 11, thus achieving a resilient and sustainable city. Through
these resources the new public infrastructure has been built better than before the
earthquake. In addition, the Urban Master Plan of Portoviejo enables the urban regeneration
of the Historic Center with the reconstruction of 40 pedestrianized, aesthetic blocks that are
accessible, boast green spaces, and on a human scale, supporting the positive economic,
social and environmental connection to rural areas through commerce. Additionally, the
Historic Urban Landscape is featured, reinforcing efforts to safeguard the cultural and natural
heritage, and promote gastronomic and artisanal creativity. (978)

8. EXPECTED IMPACT OF THE DESIGNATION AND THE MEMBERSHIP ON THE

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY:

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Presentation of the main reasons behind the decision to submit an application to the
UNESCO Creative Cities Network and the expected long-term impact of the designation for
the sustainable development of the city, particularly over the next four years following the
eventual designation (1200 characters maximum).

Portoviejo’s municipal administration will continue with the plan created in 2014 as Mayor
Casanova was re-elected this year for an additional five-year period, coinciding with the four-
year phase planned to strengthen the aforementioned infrastructures through the
implementation of regenerated areas and the adaptation of businesses and enterprises
focused on innovative provision and food research. The food culture will become the tool to
bring together all the productive nodes of the city. The next four years will witness the
interconnection between the rural centers of ichthyological, agroecological and livestock
products, natural and cultural tourism, academia and other public-private actors with the
gastronomy of the region. Traditional food practices will continue to contribute to the
construction of the social fabric and the care of biological diversity; the city of Portoviejo, with
this international nomination, will take its place as leader of the region in promoting
gastronomic culture, thus liberating the creativity of its people and increasing welfare levels
with environmental and equitative approach. (1131)

9. PREPARATION PROCESS FOR THE APPLICATION:

The design and preparation of the application submitted by the city must involve
stakeholders in the creative field concerned, drawn from the private and public sectors,
academia and civil society, as well as creators, professionals and practitioners. Describe how
each of these groups have been consulted and/or engaged in the process of preparing the
application; and how each group will benefit from the designation and membership to the
Network (1000 characters maximum).

The mayor of Portoviejo established a management committee, which he leads, for the
promotion and protection of the region’s traditional cuisine: other members consist of a
manager, member of the Fundación de la Fortaleza de la Identidad Manabita (Foundation for
the Strengthening of the Manabita Identity) who coordinated this application with the
following institutions and organizations: three regional universities, contributing with the
historical and investigative aspects of local cuisine, the Gastronomic Association of
Portoviejo and two associations of traditional cooks of seafood, meats and produce,
contributing with their knowledge of the bioregion, the association of hoteliers and
restaurants to assess the capacity of the city from the touristic perspective, the Chamber of
Commerce, providing economic sustainability and counsel, an expert from the University of
Barcelona and a facilitator of the 2003 UNESCO Convention. Two workshops were held in
which the experts were consulted. (1000)

10. COMPARATIVE ASSETS OF THE APPLICANT CITY MADE AVAILABLE TO THE

NETWORK:

In the following fields, candidate cities are invited to present their main cultural assets –
particularly those in the creative field concerned – that may be highlighted and tapped into
locally and internationally to further the Network’s objectives: making creativity, especially in
the creative field concerned, an essential driver of sustainable urban development.
Applicants are strongly advised to avoid presenting lists and to provide succinct and relevant
information so that the city’s cultural and creative assets can be assessed properly (1000
characters maximum for each field).

10.1 Role and foundations of the creative field concerned in the city’s history and
development

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The local cuisine is the first and only manifestation of food culture in Ecuador,
recognized as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the nation, owing to the system of
knowledge inherited intergenerationally, of the preparation of both seafood and rural
products. Portoviejo lies within the territory of the manteña culture, which 800 years
ago, was a food merchants' society, especially of corn, salt and fish. The city boasts
the most important archaeological site found in Ecuador today: Cerro de Hojas and
Jaboncillo. In the last centuries, Spaniards, Germans and Italians settled down due to
the booming coffee and cocoa industry, producing a cultural syncretism. The cuisine of
Portoviejo and Manabí is unique in its successful diffusion throughout all the provinces
of the country as well as in foreign countries where Ecuadorians are found, generating
employment and development. In addition, this cultural industry generates employment
for more than 2000 families in the city. (984)

10.2 Current economic importance and dynamism of the cultural sector and, in
particular, of the creative field concerned: data, statistics and other indicators on
its contribution to economic development and employment in the city, number of
cultural enterprises, etc.

The economic dynamism of Portoviejo’s cuisine is found at the beach (Crucita), with its
45 restaurants being the most favored, employing around 400 families, plus
1,500 families living from fishing and associated activities. Seasonally the
community organizes around 10 fairs, festivals, and international concerts. With
respect to the historic urban center of Portoviejo, the earthquake of 2016 turned
its 25 blocks of commerce into ground zero, from which 120 restaurants, coffee
shops, candy stores, ice cream parlors, moved to other areas. Nowadays it is a
regenerated area, and little by little the enterprises and great restaurants return.
There are municipal resolutions to facilitate the establishment of creative culinary
industries in this developing area, and two of the most representative restaurants
obtained federal loans for restoration and currently each of them invoices around
50,000 USD per month. This sector in all its clusters employs around 2,000
families. (976)

10.3 Different communities and groups engaged in, and/or that earn their livelihoods
from, the creative field concerned

The earthquake became an opportunity for many within affected communities, and
through incentives from the provincial government, there are now 300 new agro-
business ventures using the region’s raw materials. The joint ventures now
produce chifle snacks with salprieta, sea salt with cocoa flavor, citrus fruit
rompope, redcurrant wine, tartamartika (tartlets made with a Manabita-Italian
dough) and forty other innovative products. Owing to the national declaration of
Intangible Cultural Heritage, the traditional blood sausage makers, morcilleros
united, the fishing communities that produce the traditional “viche", organized,
and these agro-productive clusters also benefit the rural communities producing
corn, coffee, cocoa and peanuts. The agricultural industry boom has favored the
association of hoteliers and restaurants as well. As far as education, there are
about 300 students in the local cooking school and the Technical University of
Manabí has plans to open a gastronomy major. (997)

10.4 Major fairs, conferences, conventions, congresses, and other national and/or
international events organized by the city over the past five years, aimed at
professionals and practitioners in the creative field concerned (creators,
producers, marketers, promoters, etc.)

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Due to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, local cuisine became the main source of
economic resilience and reconstruction in Portoviejo. The United Nations
agencies, especially FAO, in 2016 and 2017 developed a series of workshops,
conferences and other events in order to generate business and emergency
response protocols in the food, agriculture, livestock, aquaculture and fishing
sectors. The most recognized chefs and food associations in the province and
the country promoted the project “Love 7.8" with brigades to feed more than
3,000 people affected in the city’s shelters. In 2018 and 2019 with the
regeneration projects, around 20 fairs, festivals and gastronomic exhibitions have
been held in the new public spaces. As Portoviejo gained the title of patrimony in
cuisine in 2018, multidisciplinary conferences on gastronomy, traditional cuisines
and cultural heritage have been developed here. (902)

10.5 Major festivals, conventions and other large-scale events organized by the city in
the past five years in the creative field concerned and aimed at a local, national
and/or international general audience

The most representative event occurring each of the last three years during Holy Week
is the "12 Manabita Dishes", in which innovation and creativity together with
tradition bring together national and international chefs to prepare traditional
dishes, drawing a crowd of at least five hundred attendees. The city has the
competitive advantage of its local produce and seafood. Since 2016, the event
"Roots of Manabita cuisine and Ecuadorian cuisine" has been held in
coordination with the Competitiveness and Innovation Center of Ecuador, which
offers a business showroom for entrepreneurs with gastronomic projects in
Portoviejo, with the purpose of generating sustainable development. Another
important event celebrates innovation and collaboration with Peruvian cuisine,
with authorities of Lima and Portoviejo joining for the event, which concluded in
the new Las Vegas Park, whose open air auditorium has a capacity of 3,000
people. (938)

10.6 Main mechanisms, courses and programmes to promote culture and creativity,
as well as arts education for youth in the creative field concerned, both within the
formal and informal education systems, including existing active institutions
providing capacity-building in this field

The Municipality of Portoviejo in 2018 has created the School of Arts that has fourteen
teachers, national and international, who teach morning and evening classes.
The curriculum at the School of Arts is aimed for children eight years and older,
and is located in the suburban parish of Picoazá. Classes are totally free and are
part of the municipal program to strengthen art and culture in all its expressions.
The current training is in music and theater, which to date has generated two
international festivals of Music and Theater, bringing together more than 20
international delegations in 2019. A plan is in place to offer tutoring for children
and youth in these facilities in the year 2020. In Portoviejo, the Gastronomic
School of Manabí has been in operation for more than 14 years, a private semi-
formal education space for young people and children in national and
international gastronomy and in pastry and bakery, with more than 300 students
each year. (980)

10.7 Lifelong learning, tertiary education, vocational schools, training centres,

residencies and other higher education institutions specialised in the creative
field concerned

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In addition to the Gastronomic School of Manabí, the Technical University of Manabí in
Portoviejo offers the Nutrition and Dietetics major, and the Gastronomy major is
planned for next year. The San Gregorio University of Portoviejo offers a Masters
in Tourism and Hospitality, as well as Gastronomy and Tourism, with emphasis
on sustainable development. A third university, the Manabí Agricultural
Polytechnic School (ESPAM), offers a Tourism and Gastronomy major. The
students have access to laboratories, residences and international professors
specialized in food and gastronomy. These three universities have produced
around 180 theses and investigations in the last five years related to the
gastronomy and cuisine of Manabí. Finally, the "FUEGOS" foundation in
partnership with "Four Worlds Coffee and Slow Food - Amawta Kawsay” offer
workshops on innovation for traditional cooks, with a vision that’s mindful of
individual and environmental health. (960)

10.8 Research centres, specialized institutes and programmes in the creative field
concerned

This application was prepared with the collaboration of the Center for Research and
Interpretation (Jaboncillo) and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage. These
institutes and their researchers study food and historical innovation from the
analysis of archaeological sites, linking history to today. The research is
presented to the community to promote the creative force of the inhabitants,
namely the actors involved in local cuisine. Additionally, the Association of
Gastronomy of Manabí (ASOGASMA), coordinates research programs in
collaboration with FUEGOS – (Foundation for Gastronomic Entrepreneurship and
Sustainable Opportunities), a powerful civil organization that envisions
gastronomic business as the engine of social transformation in the region. (769)

10.9 Recognised infrastructure for the creation, production and dissemination of

activities, goods and services in the creative field concerned, at the professional
level (for example, centres for professionals, cultural enterprise incubators,
chambers of commerce with specific programmes for cultural goods and
services, etc.)

Portoviejo has the Experimental Station of the National Institute of Agricultural

Research (INIAP) that together with the United Nations Organization for Food
and Agriculture (FAO) has trained agricultural producers in production,
consumption, circulation and sustainable food distribution. The Chamber of
Commerce of Manabi and the Alliance for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (AEI),
offered training in innovation of quality agricultural products and gastronomic
business ventures with the Post-Disaster Reactivation Program "Re-Emprende".
Their budget of USD 10 million, was obtained from private companies such as
Corporación Favorita, Coca Cola, and others. By December 2018, “Re-
Emprende” had reached 2,500 entrepreneurs and 2,974 preferential loans were
granted in the province. The universities and schools mentioned above employ
around 55 full-time professionals. (874)

10.10 Main facilities and cultural spaces dedicated to practice, promotion and
dissemination in the creative field concerned and aimed at the general public
and/or specific audiences (youth, women, vulnerable groups, etc.)

The main facilitator of local culinary creativity is the Municipality of Portoviejo. It has
invested post-disaster solidarity funds in infrastructure, especially in two modern

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 markets, each providing 60 spaces for individual food vendors, thus avoiding the
precarization of the culinary undertakings. In addition to two outdoor dining areas
in the two new parks. Las Vegas Park boasts a space for cultural events as
mentioned and a space for dining. The other park, La Rotonda, one of the most
modern and illuminated in Latin America, has two spacious areas for food
vendors, dining, and gastronomic ventures. The ample spaces within the parks
have been used for fairs, especially to exhibit and sell local tropical fruit wines.
The municipality also organizes festivals to empower women and vulnerable
groups, with competitions for the best traditional dishes, such as ceviche, viche,
and other seafood dishes. (914)

10.11 Present a maximum of three major programmes or projects developed by the city
in the past three years to promote wider participation in cultural life, especially in
the creative field concerned, particularly those aimed at disadvantaged or
vulnerable social groups

The projects Amor 7.8 and Re-Emprende managed to mobilize the creative force of
professionals and civil society, ensuring recovery of both the social fabric and the
post-disaster economy. Additional projects, such as "Cultural Café Argos" have
managed to coordinate with the cooking academy and local population to
produce an encyclopedia and cookbook of Manabita cuisine and eating habits in
the city. The purpose is to inform, especially the most vulnerable inhabitants,
about avoiding the excessive consumption of carbohydrates and fried foods,
which is causing obesity and diseases; it includes information regarding culinary
innovation and use of the traditional recipes from the richness of the local
Portovejense knowledge. The "FUEGOS" foundation promotes a gender
equitable and environmental approach toward the use of organic products
planted in "ERAS", a family gardening system with vegetables and medicinal
plants in rural, semi-urban and even urban homes in Portoviejo. (983)

10.12 Present a maximum of three major programmes or projects developed in the past
three years in the creative field concerned that have helped to create and/or
strengthen relations of cooperation between different actors, including the city,
the private sector, creators, civil society, academia and/or other relevant
stakeholders

In 2018, the national government, through the National Institute of Cultural Heritage,
conducted a series of anthropological investigations in the bio-region of the
Portoviejo River basin. These identified the viability of traditional knowledge in
the use of sea foods and rural produce, requiring the coordination and
cooperation with all the actors involved to create a plan to safeguard the local
knowledge, which was a prerequisite for the certification of traditional Manabi
cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Nation. In this plan, the private
sector committed itself to the creation and support of restaurants that meet
international standards, popular culinary associations agreed to strengthen their
partnerships, local academic institutes committed to opening of culinary majors
and the Mayor of Portoviejo agreed to implement spaces and public policies to
further promote local culinary creativity. (923)

10.13 Role and impact of the main professional and non-governmental civil society
organizations that are active in the city in the creative field concerned

ASOGASMA, FUEGOS and the Gastronomic Association of Portoviejo work to place

Manabí and its capital Portoviejo at the height of gastronomic tourism and
thereby boost local economies and value the local culinary tradition. To do this in

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 a coordinated manner, these organizations follow the plan in place to safeguard
the culinary traditions with workshops on gastronomic innovation within
vulnerable populations, promoting nutritious food and local consumption,
gastronomic entrepreneurship and the strengthening of customer service
capabilities. The main objective is to transform the region into a national and
internationally recognized culinary destination. At the same time, there is a focus
on sustainable production practices to benefit the planet and promote healthy
habits for the consumer. The main achievement thus far has been to raise
awareness of the beneficial use of family crops and farmyard animals instead of
agro-industrial products. (957)

10.14 Main initiatives, policies, guidelines, programmes and measures, implemented by

the city in the past five years to improve the status of creators and to support
creative work, particularly in the creative field concerned

The Municipality of Portoviejo experienced an increase in its budget of $300,000 USD

in 2014 to $1,841,280 from 2016 to the present year, in the category of heritage
and culture. This means an increase of 67% between 2014 to 2019 in the annual
budget, with the purpose of augmenting the creative aspect of its citizens post-
disaster. The public-private alliance and the academy concentrated on the
realization of inventories of 250 gastronomic processes in the bio-region,
systematized in a Gastronomic Atlas that contains the data of traditional chefs
and their dishes, and the main restaurants of different categories. They also
contributed to support the mentioned enterprises in the search of international
markets and participation in food festivals. Additionally, the Organic Law of Post-
Disaster Solidarity has benefited gastronomic and agricultural undertakings from
2016 to 2019 with reduction of penalties, fines and taxes.

10.15 Main initiatives, policies, guidelines, programmes and measures, implemented by

the city in the past five years to support and enhance local cultural industries in
the creative field concerned

The main initiative of the city has been the reconstruction of public spaces such as the
dining areas in the modern parks, the food stalls in the new markets, the new
slaughterhouses, and the provision of drinking water and sewage system in the
most vulnerable communities, all of which promote culinary advancement. The
main post-disaster cultural industry is gastronomy, which in turn has reduced
poverty. The program of urban regeneration in the center has been developed
with the consciousness of the historic urban landscape that integrates the
creativity of the portovejenses with the adaptation of wide paths and good
lighting, as well as the implementation of cultural events, and the regeneration of
gastronomic ventures in this area. Therefore tradition and innovation unite with
the agricultural and fishing work of the region, making Portoviejo a sustainable
and recovered city, with a continued program planned until 2030. (934)

10.16 Main international and/or regional cooperation initiatives in the creative field
concerned, developed with cities from different countries in the past five years

Within the framework of the regional dialogue on heritage and city policy between the
Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and the Inter-American Development Bank
(IDB) in Lima-Peru in 2018, the Mayor of Portoviejo was invited to present the
planning for the cultural recovery, which began with the task of regeneration of
the post-disaster city center. He reached an agreement with the municipality of
Lima and that city’s greatest developer of gastronomic innovation, with the aim of
receiving practical knowledge and techniques from the Pachakutik Cooking

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 School of Lima, recognized worldwide. In 2016, as a result of the earthquake,
there was international cooperation with more than 60 cities from different
countries with donations of food, non-reimbursable loans that managed to
finance projects of the aforementioned enterprises, as well as brigades of
national and international chefs that managed to feed and train the affected
citizens. (945)

10.17 Major programmes or projects implemented in the last three years that directly or
indirectly support and create synergies with at least one of the other creative
fields in the Network

The city of Chordeleg, in the province of Azuay, Ecuador, was one of 63 other cities in
44 countries designated Creative City of UNESCO in 2017, in the category of
crafts and popular arts. Portoviejo and Chordeleg are part of the plan to
safeguard the “handcrafted toquilla straw hat,” declared as a patrimony of
humanity in 2012, and included in the representative list of the organization's
2003 Convention. Portoviejo has more than 80 associated weavers in the urban
parish of Picoazá, and Chordeleg has the Association of Weavers of the Inca
Treasures. The present plan contemplates measures of associative
strengthening and transfer of innovative craft processes from Chordeleg to
Portoviejo. The European Union promoted a project of around one-million dollars
to achieve the empowerment of women with this craft knowledge as a result of
policies for the city’s recovery. (875)

10.18 Main international cooperation initiatives and/or partnerships developed in the

past three years involving at least two of the seven creative fields covered by the
Network (crosscutting and/or trans-sectoral projects)

In addition to the aforementioned initiative of the European Union, the generation of the
ASOARTE Association that houses 80 weavers who produce straw hats of export
quality, there is the initiative of the FAO that attended the emergency situation
after the earthquake of 2016, with the recovery of livelihoods of artisanal
fishermen from the province of Manabí, the establishment of family gardens,
irrigation systems and equipment to apicultural centers and the creative
management of agricultural products. These elements are necessary to support
the chain of gastronomic goods and services, and at the present time such
infrastructure and sustainable products are available for the respective traditional
and creative food preparation to have success in the international market.
Therefore, crafts and gastronomy are the most outstanding creative aspects of
this territory, which boasts a long-standing music culture as well. (929)

10.19 Main facilities and infrastructures made available as well as events (fairs,
conferences, conventions, etc.) organized by the city in the past three years
aimed at promoting the creative fields covered by the Network, other than the
main creative field concerned by the application

Portoviejo has been hosting the International Conference on Design and

Communication for three consecutive years, with the cooperation of the
University San Gregorio de Portoviejo. This annual event brings together more
than 300 communicators, visual artists, designers, publicists and all those
belonging to the creative and cultural industry of the neighboring countries,

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 through lectures, talks, workshops, exhibitions, etc. With respect to the popular
arts, this year the second Festival of Theater was held in the streets, using for a
stage the public spaces of Portoviejo such as Las Vegas Park, La Rotonda Park,
Picoazá and Plaza Calderón markets. The festival included presentations of
more than 30 national and international actors with an audience of more than
30,000 people.

10.20 Provide the city’s overall earning and expenditure account over the last five
years, showing amounts devoted to the creative field concerned

Since 2016, the Municipality of Portoviejo has had an annual culture and patrimony
budget of $1,841,280, 30% of which has been invested in inventories,
compilations, research, fairs and food festivals every year. In addition to that local
investment, international cooperation and national solidarity funds have given,
over the last three years, around 10 million dollars in the province of Manabi,
seen in the empowerment of gastronomic and other ventures throughout the
product chain previously. Portoviejo, the capital of the province and one of the
most devastated cities, now three years after the earthquake has the capacity to
support 30% of the jobs in the city within food-related enterprises. And this sector
contributes to 34% of the GDP of the city. (758)

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11. CONTRIBUTION TO ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE NETWORK

In this section, the candidate cities are invited to present an appropriate medium-term (four-
year) action plan describing the main initiatives that the city commits to achieving the
Network’s objectives: using creativity as a driver of sustainable development at the local and
international levels.

The proposed initiatives must correspond to the objectives and the areas of action specified
in the Creative Cities Network Mission Statement. Please have a full knowledge of this
document before filling in this part. The action plan and proposed initiatives should be
realistic, coherent and feasible, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. It is recommended to describe the main planned initiatives in a meaningful
manor rather than multiple theoretical lists of actions. In case of designation, the city will be
expected to implement this action plan in case of its designation and to report on the
implementation of the plan in its compulsory quadrennial Membership Monitoring Report (in
other terms, in case of designation following the 2019 Call for Applications, the city shall
submit its first report in 2023).

11.1 Presentation of a maximum of three major initiatives, interventions, programmes

or projects aimed at achieving the objectives of the Network locally (city level) by
enhancing the role of culture and creativity in the sustainable development of the
city

Two of the proposed initiatives should correspond to the creative field concerned and one of
the initiatives presented should be of a cross-cutting nature and link with at least one of the
other creative fields covered by the Network. The presentation of the proposed initiatives
should notably include the scope, objectives, outreach and stakeholders (partners,
participants and beneficiaries), the expected results and impact to highlight the quality,
diversity and innovation of the approach. Initiatives supported by the city involving the public
and private sectors, civil society, professional associations and cultural institutions are
encouraged (3200 characters maximum).

Portoviejo has an established development plan until 2030, including the regeneration of the
historic center with the reconstruction of parks, lighting, pedestrian spaces, and urban
beautification. This regeneration plan will include the UNESCO tool "Historical Urban
Landscape", using the local gastronomy and creativity as a link to preserve the quality of the
environment in which Portoviejo’s citizens live, improving productive and sustainable use
with the distribution and dissemination of activities, goods and services related to the food
chain and especially to the gastronomy in the post-disaster regenerated area. It is an
approach based on a balanced, sustainable relationship between the urban and natural
environment, looking to the needs of present generations, taking into account their history
and their future.

The first intervention of this program of Portoviejo as Historical Urban Landscape will be to
promote the appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of the historic areas in urban and rural
Portoviejo in an integral, contextual way. Thus strengthened with the other patrimonies,
monuments, and public spaces, the restaurants and continuous creative cultural activities will
increase, supporting Portoviejo’s local nickname: "Rock City". In this first intervention the
main actors will be the Municipality of Portoviejo, continuing its regeneration and
rehabilitation of historic heritage and spaces with private alliances, in which businessmen,
businesswomen and entrepreneurs will have all the facilities to establish themselves.

The second intervention will be the recovery of the historical and traditional value of the city
by connecting it to the natural environment; namely, by strengthening the collection centers
of seafood and agricultural products, with the respective safeguarding of the intangible

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cultural heritage of traditional kitchens, inviting community participation in cultural events and
all food processes, producing scientific publications that contribute to the sustainable
development of the city with intangible cultural heritage and gastronomy, supporting the
Academy so that it can investigate natural and ancestral processes in the management of
seeds and crops within the rural family economy, in close alliance with civil society, rural
associations, students and universities.

The third intervention will be to continue with artisanal production and promotion, especially
of the weaving of toquilla straw hats, Heritage of Humanity. A center of commercialization
and innovation in the historic downtown will open with the purpose of propitiating profits to
the associations of weavers that sells at unfairly low prices in the rural areas of the city, along
with the participation of governmental and local entities responsible for trade, therefore
generating a living historic urban center with the creative participation of artisans, traditional
chefs, in a festive, musical environment that characterizes the city of Portoviejo. (2993)

11.2 Presentation of a maximum of three major initiatives, programmes or projects

aimed at achieving the objectives of the Network on an international level,
particularly those involving other member cities in the Network

The presentation of the proposed initiatives should notably include the scope, objectives,
outreach, stakeholders (partners, participants and beneficiaries) and expected results and
impact, to highlight the quality, diversity and innovation of the approach. Initiatives supporting
the extension of the Network in under-represented regions and countries, as well as actions
involving cities in developing countries, are encouraged. A cross-cutting initiative linking
several of the creative fields covered by the Network may be presented (3200 characters
maximum).

The first initiative to be considered is the opening of a center for creativity and collaboration
in Ecuadorian-Brazilian culture and cuisine, in cooperation with the Ministries of Foreign
Affairs and the "Brazilian-Ecuadorian Institute of Culture" (IBEC), and expand opportunities
to strengthen commercial and cultural relations with the largest country in the region, as well
as to sign joint agreements with the creative cities of gastronomy in Brazil, specifically
Belém, Florianópolis and Iraty. In this way, the city will enjoy a framework of cooperation in
the transfer of commendable practices in gastronomy and tourism, due to the geographical
similarities between the coastal cities, and thus uniting the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific
Ocean in the same continent by means of cuisine. The results of this south-south
cooperation, will bring to light the diverse and creative culture of Brazil, equip the local
population with knowledge of the Portuguese language with the purpose of preparing
concrete actions such as binational gastronomic festivals, promote professional interchange
in gastronomy and specialists in traditional kitchens, and convene business conferences of
agricultural products and handicrafts among the private sector among the four cities. Finally,
there will be an effort to insist that the governmental authorities open a direct flight from the
international airport Eloy Alfaro of the province of Manabí to the Amazon region of Brazil, to
connect to forseen trans-Amazonian flight connection projects.

The second initiative involves the cooperation with other Andean creative cities in
gastronomy, specifically Popayan, Colombia and Cochabamba, Bolivia, with the aim of
strengthening relations of complementarity and historical exchange enjoyed since pre-
Columbian times, with the formal recognition of brotherhood and understanding with the
purpose of establishing exchanges of traditional chefs, herbalists and entrepreneurs, in
addition to uniting the universities of each city, to establish a common study on gastronomy
and healthy habits for nutrition and protection of the Pacha-Mama (Mother Earth ), with the
traditional Andean knowledge. The three countries share the World Heritage called "Qhapaq

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Ñan, Andean Road System", and have multinational commitments regarding the sustainable
development of communities and their knowledge. Portoviejo has the largest archaeological
complex in Ecuador "Cerro Jaboncillo", with a center for investigation that will undertake,
together partnering organizations, the study of alimentary habits and care of the environment
through archaeological and ethnographic investigation.

Finally, the third initiative is based on the relationship with the Ecuadorian cities of Chordeleg
and Durán, both with nominations in Crafts and Popular Arts, with which they will continue
the effort to empower the toquilla straw hat craftswomen, and initiate an innovative program
between the respective associations that allows the elaboration of tableware (napkin rings,
tablecloths, etc.) of high quality to complement the service of restaurants and businesses.
(3124)

11.3 Estimated budget for implementing the proposed action plan

It is recommended to present the estimated overall annual budget for implementing the
proposed action plan over a period of 4 years, as well as the respective percentages that will
be earmarked to local and international initiatives. All of the resources that the city expects to
contribute should be mentioned, not only including financial resources but also other
resources (personnel, facilities, etc.). Please indicate any existing funding or funding
applications envisaged to national and international funding bodies such as regional and
national development banks and institutions, in order to complement the budget from the
Municipality itself. Alternative and innovative fundraising mechanisms may be presented (500
characters maximum).

The evaluation will not be made on the basis of the size of the proposed budget but in terms
of its feasibility, coherence, achievability and sustainability in relation to the action plan.

The Mayor's Office will have a budget of $220,000 USD per year in the next four years 50%
of which will be dedicated to local plans in the first year. The following years, 80% will be
allocated to international activities with the other cities in the Network. National initiatives are
financed by the Central Government and International Cooperation, such as the European
Bank, the IDB and CAF. A specific office will be created with a manager and support staff for
this purpose.

11.4 Intended structure for the implementation and management of the action plan

Presentation of the organization and governance structure of the city, as well as the
resources in terms of personnel and/or the entity that will be established to ensure the
planning and implementation of the proposed action plan and an active contribution by the
city to the achievement of the Network’s objectives. It is recommended that the person in
charge of this entity will also be the focal point of the city in case of designation. Brief
presentation of the organizational structure and the planned working arrangements of the
entity, as well as the potential partners to implement the action plan with names,
designations and contact details of key experts, non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
and academic institutions (1500 characters maximum).

To implement this plan, an office will be established with its respective personnel and budget.
To ensure that the activities contemplated include and coordinate with the main actors,
achieving participation in the network with other cities and the respective UNESCO office, a
Management Committee will be set up, with the objective of making general decisions. The
committee will be chaired by the Mayor of Portoviejo or his delegate with a deciding vote,
with 8 representative members of the creative sector in question, with voice and vote: (i) of
the productive chambers, (ii) of the Ministry of Tourism, (iii) of the Association of Restaurants
and Hotels, (iv) of the Associations of Traditional Cooks, (v) of the Gastronomic School of

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Manabí, (vi) of the Gastronomic Association of Portoviejo, (vii) of the universities and (viii) the
chef María Fernanda Buzzeta. It will also have advisory bodies of different public and private
actors who will be invited to the committee's regular meetings. This committee will be
operated from the vision of a public-private company, and will have financing available from
various national and international organizations. The focal point for the international network
will be the manager who will also act as secretary in the Management Committee meetings.

11.5 Intended plan for communication and awareness-raising

Presentation of a plan for the communication and awareness-raising for promoting the
Network and its objectives to a wide audience, as well as the expected outcomes and impact
of the proposed action plan (1000 characters maximum).

The plan for communication will be aimed at promoting the Network, namely through specific
campaigns to raise awareness of the benefit of cultural industries for the sustainable
development of the city, particularly with gastronomy as a tool of development, with
continuous progress reports. Local awareness will be raised regarding gastronomy and
environmental care among the inhabitants of Portoviejo as the main actors, and at an
international level Portoviejo will be publicized as the creative and tourist destination that it is,
with an emphasis on its cuisine, artisanal crafts and rock music. The communication and
marketing departments of the Municipality will transform the symbol of the city with an
iconography that will include pre-Columbian symbols and designs regarding gastronomy.
With this communication, the local population’s awareness of its own creative powers and
aspects will increase thus propelling its reach to the rest of the world. (960)

12. SUBMISSION OF THE MEMBERSHIP MONITORING REPORT

☒ If designated, the city shall provide every four years, a Membership Monitoring
Report as requested by UNESCO, which provides detailed information on the effective
implementation of activities related to its designation as a UNESCO Creative City and
on their impact. The first such report will be expected in 2023 for cities designated
following the current Call for Applications.

13. PARTICIPATION IN ANNUAL CONFERENCES OF THE NETWORK

☒ If designated, the city shall ensure the participation of a delegation from the city,
including at least one representative, ideally together with the Mayor, in the Annual
Conferences of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and shall be responsible for
covering any travel and subsistence costs incurred. In the event that more than one
representative attend (exclusive of the Mayor), it is recommended that the
aforementioned city focal point should be included.

14. PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE SECRETARIAT

☒ If designated, the city shall provide regularly and in time relevant and up-to-date
information related to the implementation of the city’s membership, notably any change
in the contact details (see sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4)
15. COMMUNICATION MATERIALS

In order to prepare communication materials about your city in the event of its designation,
please complete the following fields. This information will be used on the UNESCO website
and in other communication materials of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

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Therefore, please kindly note that the city is fully responsible for the quality and accuracy
of the submitted communication materials. In order to facilitate the preparation of these
materials, you may refer to the UCCN website where a city page for each current member is
presented.

15.1 Brief and pertinent presentation of the cultural assets and creative industries of
the city in the creative field concerned and avoid merely promoting the city’s
tourism. Data, statistics and other indicators in the field of cultural and creative
fields are highly recommended (1300 characters maximum).

Portoviejo is a bioregion made up of mountains, a river and the sea; it was inhabited by
civilizations with the capacity to guarantee food security more than 3,000 years
ago. Europeans brought new traditions and flavors, along with new culinary
techniques to create a complex and characteristic fusion of flavor that
distinguishes the culinary style of Portoviejo. The local knowledge of sustainable
fishing and agriculture, and their respective preparation, earned the city the
certification as an Intangible Cultural heritage of the Nation in 2018. The
gastronomic enterprises and creativity of this city allowed it to rise from a terrible
earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale in 2016. The culinary industry, in addition
to supporting thousands of those affected, bolstered Portoviejo’s resilience and
created thousands of jobs. Gastronomy is the axis of the development plan of the
city, which has focused urban reconstruction on spaces and modern
infrastructure that facilitate the production and circulation of goods and services
related to local cuisine. The province has a local sea port as well as access to an
international airport at 30 km, which allows connectivity and the possibility of
continuing national and international culinary activities. (1272)

15.2 Contributions of the city in terms of achieving the objectives of the Network
according to the proposed action plan (700 characters maximum, presented in
bullet points)

As a Creative City of Gastronomy, Portoviejo plans to:

Develop a method with the "Historic Urban Landscape” for the regenerated downtown
to collaborate in the production and circulation of goods and services within the
gastronomy industry

Safeguard the cultural heritage, allow the use and enhancement of conserved historic
houses for culinary enterprises and allow alternate transportation within the
historic downtown, interconnecting venues for the enjoyment of local cuisine

Propel the city within the framework of this creative network to promote exchanges of
knowledge, experiences and the culture of peace (653)

15.3 A maximum of three URL links to websites related to the creative field concerned
and the contents of the application

https://www.portoviejo.gob.ec

http://morterodepiedra.com/cocineros-terremoto-ecuador/

http://patrimoniocultural.gob.ec/la-cocina-tradicional-manabita-recibe-la-certificacion-
de-patrimonio-cultural-inmaterial-del-ecuador/

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 15.4 List of the city’s membership in other UNESCO’s cities networks (including
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, International Coalition of Inclusive
and Sustainable Cities, and Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate), as well
as other major international and inter-regional cities networks or platforms

Portoviejo is part of the program: "Sustainable Intermediate Cities" of the German

Technical Cooperation (GIZ) and of the Sustainable Development and Cities of
Grupo FARO.

Name: Agustín Casanova Cedeño Mayor of the city of: Portoviejo

Date: 15/06/2019 Signature1:

1
The Mayor of the city should sign the present Application Form with his/her digital signature. In case the digital
signature is not available, please send a separate scanned copy of the page 2 (where personal information about
the mayor appears) and the last page, both signed in written.

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