The last two weeks of 2023 were a testament to the emerging new life of the Philippine film industry as moviegoers flocked to the cinemas to watch the various entries in one of the biggest Filipino film festivals. The creatives and artists once again made possible the dream of making Filipinos appreciate local films. Indeed, the Filipino film industry ended 2023 with a bang.

This 2024 and in the years to come, we anticipate more successes not only during the holiday season but throughout the year and not only in the film industry but in the entire creative industry as Republic Act No. 11904, otherwise known as the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act (PCIDA), enters into its second year.

PCIDA, which lapsed into law on 27 July 2022, aims to promote and support the 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 stakeholders in the creative industries.

To this end, the Philippine Creative Industries Council shall be established with a mandate to implement a long-term plan for the development and promotion of the Philippine creative industries, with programs aimed at creating opportunities and employment, nurturing human resources, ensuring financial-enabling mechanisms, and providing incentives to encourage and sustain Filipino excellence in the creative industries.

PCIDA defines 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 the potential to create wealth and livelihood through the generation and utilization of intellectual property.

Creative industries also include those directly or indirectly involved in the creation, production and manufacturing, performance, broadcasting, communication, and exhibition, or distribution and sale of works and other subject matter in accordance with existing laws, rules, and regulations on intellectual property rights protection, such as audiovisual media domain, digital interactive media domain, creative services domain, design domain, publishing and printed media domain, performing arts domain, visual arts domain, traditional cultural expressions domain, and cultural sites domain.

The PCIDA provides, among others, that entities from the creative industries may avail of infrastructure support from the Department of Trade and Industry and the infrastructure support programs under Republic Act No. 11293, otherwise known as the Philippine Innovation Act, as well as research and development support program of the Department of Science and Technology.

Entities from the creative industries shall also be granted access to digital services and digital training platforms. Technical and financial assistance programs shall be provided to Filipino entities that endeavor to create digital content distribution platforms and other digital innovations benefitting the creative industries.

Government-owned, -controlled, or -supported financial institutions shall also prioritize creative industries in providing credit assistance and guarantee schemes, subject to the rules and regulations of the concerned financial institutions.

The PCIDA also provides for the establishment of the Creative Industries Development Fund to support research and development, trade promotion, and human resource development in the creative industry and to ensure the welfare of artists, workers, and other stakeholders through business support organizations and creative workers associations.

To ensure relevance and effectiveness, the PCIDA shall be reviewed at least once every five years or as often as the Congress of the Philippines deems necessary. Such a review aims to enact necessary reforms to respond to emerging needs and developments in the creative industry.