Pangasinan fourth district Representative Christopher de Venecia, principal author of Republic Act 11904 or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, said the new law will help the creative industry sector grow and set the country as number one creative economy in Asia.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, De Venecia, who is also the chairman of the House special committee on creative industries and performing arts, said with the new law, the Philippine creative industries will develop into something that is globally competitive.

“This is a sector that has managed to survive and even thrive on its own, but with institutionalized support from the state, it will really help the creative industry sector grow and accelerate to the point where we want it to be, which is by 2030, the Philippines will be the number one creative economy in all of Asia,” he said.

RA 11904, which lapsed into law on July 27, mandates the promotion and development of Philippine creative industries by protecting and strengthening the rights and capacities of creative firms, artists, artisans, creators, workers, indigenous cultural communities, content providers, and other stakeholders in the creative industries.

De Venecia said the law also calls for the formation of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council, under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“This council will be created to guarantee the long-term development of the creative industries so that those who belong to it can reap the continuing creation of industry jobs and provide incentives to encourage and sustain Filipino excellence in creative industries,” he said.

The law will likewise provide centralized state support to creative industries, unlike the current system where state support is sporadic, he added.

RA 11904 defines the creative industries as “trades involving persons, whether natural or juridical, that produce cultural, artistic, and innovative goods and services originating in human creativity, skill, and talent, and having a potential to create wealth and livelihood through the generation and utilization of intellectual property.”

It said creative industries include these domains: audiovisual media (vlogs, films, television, animatronix, broadcasts, music); digital interactive media (software and mobile apps, video games, digitalized creative content); creative services (creative research, development, and real-time artistic performances); design (fashion, toy making, footwear making, textile development, urban landscaping, jewelry making); publishing and printed media (comics, blogs, magazines, published media); performing arts (musical theater, circus, opera, puppetry); visual arts (drawings, sculptors, paintings, photographs); traditional cultural expressions (arts and crafts, gastronomy); and cultural sites (museums, cultural exhibitions).

RA 11904 is the combined version of House Bill No. 10107 and Senate Bill No. 2455 that seeks to create the Philippine Creative Industry Development Council, which will oversee efforts to improve the country’s creative industries.

In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the workers in the creative industry are the ones who give soul to the Filipino identity and therefore need protection. (PNA)