MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has approved a long-term plan that seeks to support the country’s creative industries, a sector that employs more than seven million Filipinos.
The Philippine Creative Industries Development Plan (PCIDP) was adopted through Memorandum Circular 103, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin by the authority of President Marcos on Oct. 7.
The plan is a comprehensive blueprint that enumerates the objectives, strategic actions and initiatives designed to unlock the creative industry’s full potential.
“The effective implementation of the PCIDP 2025-2034 requires the active support and cooperation of all national government agencies, instrumentalities, local government units and the private sector,” the circular read.
The Philippine Creative Industries Development Council, which was formed by the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, will lead the implementation of the plan. It will also review the plan every three years from the date of its execution.
Marcos noted that the country’s national development plan recognizes the Philippine creative industries as key generators of jobs and economic value.
Through the plan, the government is laying down the strategy in strengthening the foundation of a creative ecosystem where creativity can flourish and Filipino talent can thrive, he added.
“The Filipino people are innately creative. From the designs of our local weavers to the cutting-edge innovations of our tech entrepreneurs, the Philippines is brimming with talent and potential that deserves to be nurtured and showcased on the global stage,” the President said in the foreword of the 166-page plan.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the creative economy consists of several industries, namely audio and audiovisual media activities; digital interactive goods and service activities; advertising, research and development and other artistic service activities; symbols and images and other related activities; media publishing and printing activities; music, arts and entertainment activities; visual arts activities; traditional cultural expression activities; and art galleries, museums, ballrooms, conventions and trade shows and related activities.
The plan presents a vision to make the Philippines the premier creative hub of Asia by 2030. The government aims to strengthen the Philippine creative ecosystem by 2028 through capacity building and digital transformation, and to turn the country into a beacon of culture-led innovation and the preferred partner of the global creative community that showcases leadership on the world stage by 2030.
By 2034, the creative industries are envisioned to help transform the Philippines into a more prosperous, inclusive and resilient society.
The plan enumerated five priorities, namely, ignite Filipino ingenuity through creative hubs and clusters; boost creative entrepreneurship through research and development and cutting-edge technology; regenerate cities and local economies through sustainable innovations; strengthen the global brand through international collaborations; and foster the next generation of creatives through capacity-building and leadership development.
The creative economy at current prices amounted to P1.94 trillion in 2024, higher by 8.7 percent than P 1.78 trillion in 2023, the latest PSA data showed. The sector accounted for 7.3 percent of the gross domestic product and employed 7.51 million people last year.