Friday, March 29, 2024

DTI eyes creative industry as key driver for exports

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is aiming to boost Philippine exports in services through the creative industry.

DTI secretary Ramon Lopez

DTI secretary Ramon Lopez underscored the potential of the industry in strengthening the export sector and supporting the government’s goal of creating more jobs and employment opportunities for Filipinos.

“We need to look at creative industries that can bring in economic growth. Apart from making our creative talent pool more competitive and attractive in international markets, we are also pushing for more trade and intellectual property rights activities,” said Lopez during the National Export Congress on Friday, December 6.

According to the trade chief, the creative industry is a high-value sector and the Philippines has a natural competitive edge in this area considering the rich pool of Filipino talents.

“In fact, when we conduct our trade and investment roadshows abroad, we ensure that we bring our private and government partners from advertising, animation, film, game development, and design, to attract investors as well as encourage companies to expand and locate in the Philippines,” Lopez added.

In 2018, the export services sector reached $38.4 million with IT-related services generating $22.666 million or 59%. Non-IT services earned $15.746 million, representing 41%.

IT-related services are composed of telecommunications, computer and information services, and audio-visual. Other business services, which include some creative industry subsectors such as animation, gaming, and software development, generated $16.448 million or 73% of the total exports of IT-related services.

The Philippines is aiming to be the top creative economy in the ASEAN in region terms of size and value by 2030. The DTI has launched a “Creative Economy Roadmap” that has priority initiatives and subsectors where public and private sectors can collaborate to accelerate the economy.

The priority initiatives include policies, industries, clusters, cities, tourism, and education. Priority sectors, meanwhile, include advertising, film, animation, game development, and graphic arts and design.

Meanwhile, Lopez reiterated government’s support in the digital transformation of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including exporters through funding.

“We need to prepare for the wide range implementation of the digital transformation by focusing on innovation and embracing the rigors of digital era,” said Lopez.

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