CITEM and CDAP finalize their partnership for CREATELab 2025

By September Grace Mahino
March 14, 2025

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With their shared commitment to foster greater trade opportunities and promote the country’s communication design industry, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) and the Communication Design Association of the Philippines (CDAP) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that details their collaboration for CREATELab 2025. A creative solutions program that aims to underscore the importance of design in business growth, CREATELab 2025 will facilitate consultation sessions between creatives and the participating micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in CITEM’s flagship events: IFEX Philippines and Manila FAME.

Present at the MOA signing were CDAP President Leah Rasay, CDAP Vice President Dustin Carbonera, and CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo. Also in attendance were key CITEM representatives: Service Business Department Manager Marjo Evio, Communications and Creative Services Department Manager Joseph Bernat, CREATEPhilippines Officer-in-Charge Katrina Ledesma-Muan, and CREATEPhilippines Project Officers SJ Nacino and Vea Santos.

The creative industry, in which communication and graphic design is one of the sectors under the Creative Services domain, has already contributed 7.1% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023. With this collaboration, both parties are optimistic that the Philippines’ creative economy will continue to grow. “Through CREATELab 2025, we envision building a sustainable relationship between creatives and businesses,” Ocampo stated. “This program will serve as a design clinic for CITEM exhibitors who need guidance on using design to strengthen their brands and businesses.”

 

Mutually beneficial to MSMEs and creatives

The partnership is the second time for CITEM and CDAP to work together. The first one was in 2018, which saw CITEM’s content and community platform, CREATEPhilippines, bringing together practitioners in the local design industry and facilitating a masterclass on communication design that was headlined by the Emmy Award-winning designer and director Chris Do.

From mentoring creatives on the intricacies of running a design career as a business, CITEM and CDAP now envision a stronger integration of creative solutions into business development. Through CREATEPhilippines’ participation in IFEX Philippines and Manila FAME, CREATELab 2025 will match MSMEs with creatives whose expertise meets their design and branding needs. Exhibitors in CITEM’s trade shows will have the opportunity to have on-site one-on-one consultations with communication designers and develop creative strategies to strengthen their business.

CDAP sees these consultations as equally beneficial to participating creatives. “It will train them further on knowing how to pitch their services to potential clients and communicate with them,” Rasay said. “Since they’ll be meeting with MSMEs with specific needs, the creatives will have to work with the varying degrees and stages of the business owners’ understanding of the value of design.”

The creative experts who will be onboarded to consult with MSMEs are members of CDAP. Those who want to participate in the program must secure their membership with the organization to secure a slot, and they must also be registered verified members of CREATEPhilippines’ Directory of Creatives. Verification in the directory requires the submission of business documents, such as the BIR 2303 form or Certificate of Registration, a valid ID for individuals, and a Mayor’s Permit for companies.

CDAP is supportive of the strict conditions set for joining CREATELab. Carbonera said, “This will help put order in the creative industry, since many Filipino creatives are freelancers who remain resistant to or unaware of what’s needed to run a design business, such as registration and taxation.” This reticence has made it difficult to organize the industry. However, with the visibility and networking opportunities offered by CREATELab, the organization is hopeful that local creatives will be motivated to get their businesses in order so they can participate. “Whenever CDAP talks to different government offices like the Department of Trade and Industry, they always ask us, ‘Where are the creatives?’” Rasay revealed. “It’s about time for both sides to finally meet, and CREATELab 2025 is the perfect bridge for that.”

 

Government support and involvement a boon for the creative industry

CDAP also sees the partnership with CITEM as a force for societal change, especially since creatives face the challenge of future-proofing themselves against technological developments like Artificial Intelligence. “The creative community can always adapt,” Rasay said, “but help from the government will have the biggest impact.”

A well-supported creative industry will, in turn, boost local MSMEs because design — good design — is about creating solutions to problems. “Businesses who may not have considered exporting their products would feel proud once they see that their products are packaged and labeled well,” Carbonera said. “Design can change a person’s perspective.”

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CREATEPhilippines.com is the country's first government-led content and community platform for the local creative industries.

It is the ultimate resource for stories and updates on the Philippines' creative community and a centralized directory and sourcing platform where Filipino creatives can share their portfolio and engage with a global audience.

CREATEPhilippines is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotion arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

CREATEPhilippines.com is published by the Center for International Trade Expositions & Missions (CITEM).

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