10/12/2025
๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ค | ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ โ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ช: ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐ธ๐๐ ๐โ ๐ธ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ค๐ค ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐
In a bid to strengthen the local creatives industry, the Department of Trade and Industry through Negosyo Center Santo Tomas, in partnership with the LGU Tourism Office, conducted the Shaping the Future of Creatives Industry: Orientation and IP Awareness Forum on December 10, 2025 at the Municipal Function Hall of Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte. The activity gathered key partner stakeholders and MSMEs from the creative sector, signaling a unified effort to elevate the townโs creative landscape.
The forum featured two resource speakers who provided essential insights for creatives. Mr. Elycer B. Remigio, Trade and Industry Development Specialist of DTI XI, led the Creatives Industry Orientation with a strong emphasis on Republic Act 11904 or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act. He highlighted how the law provides a national framework for developing creative clusters and capacitating local creatives. He also discussed how the Municipality of Santo Tomas can strategically position itself in establishing its own Municipal Creatives Industry Council, a crucial mechanism that will champion local planning, policy-making, and program development for the creative sector.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nichol May E. Fortun, IP Field Operations Officer of IPOPHIL XI, delivered an IP Awareness Orientation focusing on the importance of protecting creative outputs. She underscored how safeguarding intellectual property rights empowers artists, designers, and content creators to gain rightful ownership and economic benefit from their works. She also emphasized the need for creatives to secure their intellectual property early, noting that proper registration and protection allow them to leverage their ideas and innovations for partnerships, market expansion, and long-term business opportunities.
More than an information drive, the event also marked the initial step toward establishing the Municipal Creatives Industry Council, a dedicated body envisioned to spearhead planning, policy-making, and program development for the local creative industry. With increased awareness and stronger collaboration among stakeholders, Santo Tomas aims to nurture a vibrant, competitive, and future-ready creative sector.
The success of the activity underscored the communityโs growing commitment to recognizing creativity as a driver of economic progress. As the creative industry continues to expand, initiatives like this serve as crucial platforms for empowering local talents and shaping a more innovative Santo Tomas.