‘Creative economy hits P1.94 trillion, but gaps persist in jobs and skills’

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December 21, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The creative economy contributed at least P1.94 trillion, equivalent to more than seven percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, according to Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

Speaking at the 3rd Creativity in Philippine Higher Education Summit in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, Angara said that unemployment, underemployment and job mismatches continue to challenge both the education and industry sectors.

“We must also be honest: we are still far from fully realizing our vision of a truly creative nation,” Angara said. “If we look deeper, we still have a long way to go to reach the level of cities like Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore and Bangkok as creative capitals.”

Angara said the government aims to become one of the leading creative economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 2030.

“Studies from the World Bank show that creative industries are helping emerging economies build resilience and widen prosperity, which is something significant nowadays. The sector supports nearly 50 million jobs worldwide, primarily by employing women. Half of the workers in the creative sector are women, and no other sector employs more young people aged 15 to 29. Perhaps this is important as we view young people overthrowing their governments worldwide. So, in other words, creativity is not just a luxury, it’s a development strategy and a wise one at that,” he said.

Angara also said that global artists have always been one of the country’s exports. 

“I remember as a student in London in the late 80s, early 90s, watching the maiden run of Lea Salonga in ‘Miss Saigon’ and her receiving a five-minute standing ovation from the crowd. That was really an awe-inspiring feeling as a Filipino. I also acknowledge the role of SB19 and Bini as part of our national creative capital portfolio. These should not just be stories of individual brilliance. These should be signals of an ecosystem gaining momentum,” he added.

Angara assured the public that the DepEd is working on the arts portion of the curriculum.

“You’ll be hearing things from us in the coming months,” he said.

Angara said the creative industries and tourism were not one of the nine priority sectors of the Department of Trade and Industry.

“These two are two of the fastest growing industries in the world, the most productive industries in the world, and Filipinos have a natural affinity and talent for these industries, so they should be included under the Tatak-Pinoy umbrella,” he noted.

He said the DepEd continues to implement reforms designed to build seamless pathways where learners can pursue creative degree programs with strong foundations.

“They can join the creative workforce with competence and confidence, and contribute to national development as innovators, as storytellers, and as culture bearers,” Angara said.