Creative talent is one of the most widely distributed resources in any society. Yet while creativity can be found everywhere, its ability to generate jobs, enterprises, intellectual property, cultural influence, and economic growth depends on something more than talent alone. It depends on the strength of the ecosystem that surrounds it.
Recognizing the importance of understanding these conditions, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), launched the first Creative Economy Data Model (CEDM) National Diagnostic Report for the Philippines in Manila on June 9, 2026. The launch marked an important milestone in the country's efforts to strengthen the evidence base for creative economy policymaking and better understand the factors that enable creativity to generate sustainable economic and social value.
The event brought together senior representatives from government institutions and key stakeholders involved in the development of the report. Opening the launch, DTI Secretary Cristina A. Roque underscored the importance of reliable data in shaping effective public policy for the creative sector. “We need clear data. We need to understand the gaps. And that is exactly what this National Diagnostic Report gives us,” she noted.
Photo courtesy of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). From right to left - Mark C. Pascasio, Assistant National (PSA); Paolo Federico A. Ramos, Deputy Executive Director, Philippine Creative Industries Development Council Secretariat (DTI); Atty. Teodoro C. Pascua, Director General (IPOPHL); Ma. Cristina A. Roque, Secretary, Sylvie Forbin, Deputy Director General (WIPO); Atty. Ann Claire C. Cabochan, Deputy Director General (IPOPHL); Felipe Buitrago, Senior Manager (WIPO).
In her keynote address, WIPO Deputy Director General Sylvie Forbin highlighted the growing importance of measuring creative economies as countries increasingly recognize creativity, innovation, and intellectual property as strategic drivers of development. “This is why WIPO places growing emphasis on developing better tools to measure the creative economy and support Member States in designing evidence-based policies that strengthen their creative sectors,” she said.
The Creative Economy Data Model is WIPO’s analytical framework for assessing both the performance of national creative economies and the conditions that shape their development. Rather than focusing solely on economic outputs, the model examines the broader ecosystem that supports creativity and innovation, including governance, intellectual property systems, talent development, finance, infrastructure, and market opportunities. By combining these dimensions, the CEDM seeks to provide policymakers with a deeper understanding of how creative value is generated and where opportunities exist to strengthen long-term ecosystem performance.
A high-level panel discussion followed the launch, moderated by Felipe Buitrago, Senior Manager in WIPO’s Copyright Development Division. The discussion featured DTI Deputy Executive Director Paolo Federico A. Ramos, IPOPHL Director General Atty. Teodoro C. Pascua, and PSA Assistant National Statistician Mark C. Pascasio. Panelists emphasized the importance of sustained institutional cooperation, robust statistical systems, and reliable data collection in supporting informed decision-making and tracking the evolution of the creative economy over time.
Photo courtesy of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). From right to left - Mark C. Pascasio, Assistant National (PSA); Paolo Federico A. Ramos, Deputy Executive Director, Philippine Creative Industries Development Council Secretariat (DTI); Atty. Teodoro C. Pascua, Director General (IPOPHL); Felipe Buitrago, Senior Manager (WIPO).
The report finds that the Philippines benefits from a stable creative economy performance, a supportive environment for creativity, and significant creative resources capable of generating economic value. The analysis also confirms the substantial contribution of the country's creative industries to economic activity and employment, highlighting the important role they already play within the broader economy.
At the same time, the report identifies opportunities to further strengthen the ecosystem's capacity to generate value and enhance long-term competitiveness. While creative sectors demonstrate strong output, a significant share of activity remains concentrated in labor-intensive industries, pointing to the potential for greater productivity, increased innovation, and a stronger role for domestically owned intellectual property in value creation.
The findings also highlight the importance of continued investment in knowledge generation, skills development, and innovation capabilities, alongside stronger mechanisms to support the commercialization of creative assets. Expanding markets capable of absorbing highly skilled creative talent and generating higher-value goods and services based on domestic intellectual property will be critical to future growth. Strengthening access to finance and fostering an environment that rewards creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship will further support the evolution of the Philippine creative ecosystem.
Photo courtesy of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Paolo Federico A. Ramos, Deputy Executive Director, Philippine Creative Industries Development Council Secretariat (DTI).
As the first diagnostic exercise of its kind in the country, the report establishes an important baseline for future measurement, monitoring, and policy development. Participants highlighted the value of continuing collaboration among partner institutions and exploring opportunities to develop the CEDM into a regular monitoring tool capable of tracking changes across the creative ecosystem and informing future policy interventions.
As the first diagnostic exercise of its kind in the country, the report establishes an important baseline for future measurement, monitoring and policy development. Participants highlighted the value of continuing collaboration among partner institutions and exploring opportunities to develop the CEDM into a regular monitoring tool capable of tracking changes across the creative ecosystem and informing future policy interventions.
The launch in the Philippines also marked an important step in the continued expansion of the Creative Economy Data Model initiative. Just two days, WIPO and the Ministry of Creative Economy of Indonesia launched a new CEDM project in Jakarta under the leadership of Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya. The initiative will support Indonesia in strengthening its understanding of the country's creative economy ecosystem, identifying policy priorities and developing a more comprehensive evidence base for decision-making. Together, these initiatives reflect growing interest among Member States in using data and ecosystem analysis to better understand how creativity is transformed into intellectual property, economic value and sustainable development outcomes. Through the CEDM, WIPO continues to support countries in strengthening creative economy measurement and building the conditions that enable creative ecosystems to thrive.
The Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, received representatives from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Deputy Director General, Sylvie Forbin, Senior Manager Felipe Buitrago, and Senior Manager Michel Allain, at the Ministry of Creative Economy Office, Jakarta, Thursday, June 11. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Creative Economy of Indonesia.])