DoST invests P887 million to boost PHL’s creative industry, shrink trade deficit in creative goods

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) has invested P887 million in at least 76 projects as of 2026 to boost the Philippines’ creative industry and help narrow the country’s trade deficit, as imports of creative goods have exceeded exports by more than double, the agency’s chief said.

“Through DoST-PCIEERD (Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development), we have supported the creative industries through at least 76 projects with investments of more than P886 million,” DoST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said.

He said this in his keynote message during the opening ceremony of the Creative Summit 2026 led by DoST-PCIEERD on Thursday.

The P886.5-million investment of DoST-PCIEERD covers six focus areas, encompassing a total of 76 projects as of 2026.

The largest share, amounting to P481.8 million, went to 23 projects involving traditional industries such as handloom weaving, furniture, footwear, bamboo musical instruments and jewelry.

Another P176.5 million was allocated to 20 projects involving games, digital animation, film, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), and other emerging media.

Meanwhile, P108.9 million was allocated to 15 projects involving technology business incubators, startups and social enterprises, while P49.1 million went to eight projects focused on the restoration and conservation of heritage structures.

The agency also invested P46.5 million in three projects involving interactive galleries in science museums and traveling science and technology exhibitions.

Another P23.7 million went to seven projects involving specialized laboratories for footwear, acoustics and language processing, as well as other related programs under its Research on Regional Innovations initiative.

Mr. Solidum said the nearly billion-peso investment seeks to support the growing Philippine creative economy, which posted a value of P2.12 trillion in 2025, up from P1.98 trillion in 2024, marking a 6.9% growth, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The investment also aims to help narrow the country’s trade deficit in creative goods, as the Philippines imports P711 billion worth of creative goods, more than double the P320 billion worth of exports.

“There is a large opportunity for Filipino creative goods to be better, more competitive, and more widely sold, at home and abroad,” Mr. Solidum said.

While several efforts are ongoing, the secretary said the agency still needs to bridge the gap between research prototypes and commercial products and expand technology access among regional creators. It also has to address challenges involving generative artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property protection.

Moving forward, he said the agency would update its research and development roadmaps based on the creative sector’s needs and market direction. It would also strengthen partnerships among researchers, businesses, government agencies, and communities. — Edg Adrian A. Eva