UNESCO announced on October 31 that Dumaguete City has joined its Creative Cities Network as a City of Literature, alongside Quezon City as a City of Film. Drawing from a local writer's personal account, this achievement stems from years of dedicated effort and community collaboration with local government. It opens new opportunities for the city's culture, tourism, and economy.
On October 31, at the close of World Cities Day, UNESCO announced that Dumaguete City had become a Creative City of Literature, with Quezon City designated as a Creative City of Film. Writer Ian Rosales Casocot, born and raised in Dumaguete, learned the news during a Halloween party at a local hotel from his fellow campaign coordinators. "Forgive me, but I cried," he said, capturing the emotional weight of a long-held dream turning real.
National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares emphasized, "In promoting Dumaguete as a UNESCO City of Literature, two things are important. One must see not only the city’s tradition and current status but the award’s potential and prospective value in raising the city’s visibility and promoting further development that will go beyond the literary field to sectors like tourism, education, and the local economy, as well as diffuse outwards to other places in the country. The stakes are high since Dumaguete is the country’s best bet for being a city of literature and I really think that if Dumaguete does not get this honor, it is unlikely that another Philippine city will."
Casocot, one of two Philippine delegates to the International Writing Program in Iowa City in 2010—which became a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008—saw parallels: both small cities with one major bookstore, hosting international literary events, and a similar vibe. The Silliman University National Writers Workshop, founded in 1962 and modeled on the Iowa Writers Workshop, traces roots to Edilberto and Edith Tiempo, Iowa alumni from the 1950s.
Since returning from the US, Casocot advocated the idea in lectures, such as at the 6200 PopUp and seminars. In 2014, he curated the 'Cities of Literature' exhibit at Silliman Library. In 2018, he prepared a white paper for Mayor Ipe Remollo. Though delayed by the pandemic, his April 2024 talk at the Dumaguete Literary Festival spurred DTI Negros Oriental director Nimfa Virtucio to initiate the application, submitted on March 3, 2025, after an intense process from December 2024 to February 2025.
Key contributors included DTI's Anton Gabila and former city tourism officer Katherine Aguilar, alongside the Buglas Writers Guild and Dumaguete Literary Festival. As Buglas Writers Guild president, Casocot led the campaign. This success underscores the value of perseverance against challenges like bureaucracy and stakeholder misunderstandings.