The Future of Creatives, The Future is Creatives
by Wimbledon Bosque
โ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ข๐ต,โ an Ilokano word which refers to oneโs prolific creativity, captures the ingenuity of being imaginative, innovative, and artistic. In Bicol, it is called โ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ,โ among Cebuanos, โpagkamamugnaon,โ for Kapampรกngans โ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌรก๐ฌรก๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ฏรก๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ,โ and in Tagalog, โ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ.โ While morphologically distinct, these linguistic expressions are semantically unified. Together, they reflect the diversity and deep local grounding of Filipino culture and creativity across the archipelago.
The Philippines has long been a cradle of cultural ingenuity and a home for a rich artistic heritage. From traditional crafts and performance to contemporary digital arts, Filipino creativity has continually nurtured the countryโs creative industries. Over the years, this sector has steadily flourished, laying the groundwork for a promising future as the Philippines positions itself to become a creative economy powerhouse in Asia by 2030.
This national direction is reinforced by Republic Act No. 11904, or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, which mandates government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and the private sector to actively support initiatives under the Philippine Creative Industries Month. The law underscores creativity not merely as cultural expression, but as a strategic driver of inclusive growth and sustainable development.
At the forefront of these efforts is the Commission on Higher Education(CHED), which has consistently spearheaded programs that celebrate Filipino artistic expression through the Creativity in Philippine Higher Education Summit. Since its launch in 2023, the summit has served as a national platform for celebrating cultural heritage, offering a venue for dialogue, and advocating policies that elevate the countryโs creative industries through higher education.
๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฆ: ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐
๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ด, a Filipino word meaning framework or structure, refers to the skeletal support of a building, the plot of a story, or the logical organization of ideas in writing. It provides coherence and direction, an apt metaphor for shaping creativity within the education system.
This term was adopted for CHEDโs first-ever Creativity Summit of CHED, held on November 30, 2023, at the Garden Orchid Convention Center in Zamboanga City. The summit produced the Framework for Creativity in Higher Education, responding to the need to articulate the graduate attributes of Philippine higher education institutions as inherently โcreative.โ
Through this, the ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ด ๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐๐ข๐ด ๐๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ข๐ด ๐ฏ๐ข ๐๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฌ๐ข๐บ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ was crafted through collaborative efforts. The crafting of the ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ด was CHEDโs response, being one of the 19 members of the Philippine Creative Industry Development Council, to RA 11904. The framework aimed to guide the development of relevant programs, strengthen support mechanisms for the creative industries, and expand scholarship opportunities for deserving students in both basic and postgraduate education.
๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ
Building on the foundation laid by the Balangkas, CHEDโs Office of Programs and Standards Development (OPSD), in collaboration with the University of Baguio (UB), launched the Zonal Creative Summit in 2024. The initiative showcased regional creativity and fostered collaboration across the country.
The summit was actively supported by representatives from Regions I, II, III, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), collectively known as Northern Luzon, with discussions centered on the creative sectorโs role in driving socio-economic development.
Plenary sessions explored the future of creative industries within higher education and development, emphasizing culture as a viable and sustainable pillar of the national economy. The event also highlighted creative products and services from participating HEIs and identified institutional priorities to promote cultural vibrancy and strengthen the creative economy.
๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ก๐จ๐๐ฌ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐
Hosted by Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), this year's creativity summit found a fitting home at the Ilocandia Cultural Center, an edifice envisioned for Ilokano creatives. The summit, titled "๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ข๐บ," meaning to create or to bring something into life, marked its third year, strengthening the occasionโs role as a rallying point for trifocal education support within the creative sector.
As the summit theme suggests, this yearโs event transcended mere dialogue and reflection. CHED reinforced its commitment to creative pathways by signing the Creative Skills Progression Pathway (CSPP), a pivotal development announced by CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis.
โUnder the CSPP, creativity is introduced early through DepEdโs strengthened Kโ12 curriculum, providing senior high school electives that empower learners to explore storytelling and creative practices,โ Agrupis shared. โThis foundational approach is complemented by structured skills development through TESDA, followed by flexible entry points into higher education through CHED, where new programs in animation and game development recognize prior learning and industry experience, facilitating seamless transitions for creative workers.โ
The plenary sessions will feature the interconnectedness of digital creatives in Philippine higher education, the trifocalization of creative industries, cultural preservation, and values formation. Participants engaged in discussions about microcredentials related to the creative economy and the nurturing of Filipino artist-scholars.
Workshops will examine important subjects such as theater arts curriculum development and contemporary approaches to traditional Filipino music, fostering collaboration among DepEd, CHED, and TESDA in key areas like game development and animation.
As the summit celebrates its third year, the shared vision for the Philippines as Asiaโs premier creative hub by 2030 resonates strongly. The government, together with its agencies and partner institutionsโespecially CHED, DepEd, and TESDAโ continues to champion support for creatives at every stage of education. By placing the creative industries at the core of national development, the country shows a genuine commitment to empowering Filipino artistry and expanding creative endeavors that will shape the very fabric of our society.
Dec, 19, 2025 09:16:am
Written By:
STRATCOM
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