About CIF


Creative Image Foundation was established in 2001 by its representative, Toshihiko Uriu. 　
CIF conducts its business based on three ideals.
-What CIF aims for-
1. Children of Payatas Smoky Mountain
You can grow your talents with your own power and realize your dreams
2. The Filipino people should understand their country's history and current situation.
Can be understood from various angles

3. The children of the Philippines and other parts of the world,
You can learn and interact with the culture of ethnic minorities in your country / world

Also, while interacting with children, Uriu realized their infinite potential. Children are full of talent in singing, dancing, and acting, but they just haven’t had the opportunity to develop their talents. In 2014, we built TIUTheater in Makati City. To date, the theater regularly holds workshops on singing, dancing, musical instruments, etc. for children. One of the results of these efforts was the rap musical “BAKATA” by the children of Payatas Smoky Mountain, which was presented at the Uryu Theater in 2015 with Uryu at the helm, and won the Aliw Award, a performing arts award in the Philippines. ) won the Best Musical Award in the children’s category. In 2016, she founded Tosh Entertainment so that children who have improved their singing and dancing skills can find work on their own. We support you in opening your path to the entertainment world.

The children of Payatas Smoky Mountain can develop their talents and realize their dreams through their own efforts.

Our founder, Toshihiko Uryu, worked as a documentary photographer in 1988 when he visited Payatas and the Smoky Mountains, two of the poorest areas in the Philippines with garbage accumulation. Since then, as a photographer, I have been deeply involved with the people living there and photographed them. When I asked the children, “What do you want most?” they all answered in unison, “I want to go to school.” In poverty-stricken areas of the Philippines, children are forced to work from an early age, collecting garbage, in order to feed their families. Also, even in public schools, students need money for various things such as uniforms, snacks, stationery, etc. In 2001, Uryu established free schools in Payatas and the Smoky Mountains so that children in the area could study without embarrassing other children and while working. To date, more than 5,000 children have graduated from the school.


写真：ラップミュージカルBAKATAの一場面

People in the Philippines can learn about the history and current situation of their country from various angles Uryu, who was a documentary photographer, has always thought of bringing to the world facts that are hidden and overlooked by society. Through my involvement with the Philippines for over 30 years, I have come to realize that school education is not sufficient for the culture, history, and truth of my own country that the Filipino people need to know. CIF started a documentary project in 2007. For my first project, I created two video works about land ownership issues in the Philippines. The aforementioned rap musical “BAKATA” also captures the harsh reality of children’s lives. The film “YIELD”, which was completed in 2018 and won the Best Documentary Award at two prestigious film festivals, deals with child labor in the Philippines while maintaining a high level of artistic quality as a film.

写真左：2018年公開YIELDポスター 写真右：映画祭「FAMAS」の授賞式にて、制作総指揮の瓜生敏彦氏（左）と、監督のVictor Delotavo Tagaro氏（右）

Performed at the Uryu Theater in 2014, from Balitok 3. Children from the Philippines and other parts of the world can learn about and interact with the cultures of ethnic minorities in their own countries and around the world. We have actively introduced ethnic dance plays and traditional music performed by ethnic children. In the future, we aim to become a place of exchange for children from ethnic minorities not only in the Philippines but also in Southeast Asia and around the world, so that we can become a society where they can know and accept each other across borders and races.