Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher V.P. de Venecia 
AN ACT  
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE CREATIVE PHILIPPINES PROGRAM AND 
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The One Town, One Product (OTOP) Philippines project is a priority stimulus program for Micro, 
Small and Medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) as the government’s way - through the Department 
of Trade and Industry (DTI) - to intervene in the development of local economic growth. The 
program enables localities and communities to determine, develop, support, and promote products 
or services that are rooted in its local culture, community resource, creativity, connection, and 
competitive advantage. As their own ‘pride-of-place,’ these are offerings where they can be the 
best at or best renowned for. It endeavors to capacitate MSME owners to innovate and produce 
market-ready products and services.1 
OTOP is an international program that originated from Japan’s One Village, One Product. Its 
various versions and iterations in numerous countries prove that it is a viable branding and stimulus 
program for MSMEs. More than a decade into its implementation, OTOP remains to be a strategic 
tool that provides an ecosystem of assistance from local government units, national government 
agencies, and the private sector. Nevertheless, there are more ways that OTOP can be improved 
especially in response to the economy’s new challenges.2 
The Creative Philippines program is inspired by the ‘Kalibutan Project’ that was initiated by DTI 
Region VII. It is a banner project under OTOP, infusing concepts on product development and 
design into the OTOP framework of developing locally-developed businesses. The DTI Region 
VII partnered with the Design Center of the Philippines and local designers to elevate the design 
of selected MSMEs, taking into consideration the expertise of the MSMEs’ artisans, as well as 
their limitations.3 
1 https://www.dti.gov.ph/negosyo/otop-ph/ 
2 https://www.dti.gov.ph/negosyo/otop-ph/ 
3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE5jfZ7VbQQ 
July 6, 2022
8:00 am
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The Creative Philippines program recognizes and emphasizes the role of creativity and design in 
developing local products and services while ensuring that they remain representative of the 
local history and heritage where the said products emerge. Its ultimate goal is to develop 
beautiful, unique, and market-ready products that will benefit the local community socially, 
culturally, and economically. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is urgently sought. 
HON. CHRISTOPHER V.P. DE VENECIA 
Fourth District, Pangasinan 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher V.P. de Venecia 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE CREATIVE PHILIPPINES PROGRAM AND 
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Creative Philippines Act." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
develop a self-reliant and independent national economy effectively controlled by Filipinos 
through policies and programs that drive creative, innovative, and inclusive local economic 
activity and boost national economic growth.  
The State also recognizes the indispensable role of the private sector and private enterprises 
and the necessity to provide incentives to encourage cultural consciousness, design-sense, and 
creativity in general and to foster advancement among businesses especially local micro, small, 
and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs). 
Towards this end, the State shall equip MSMEs to progressively improve product and 
service quality, to utilize new technologies to pursue innovation and diversification, and to creative 
products and services that are unique to the comparative advantages of the local communities 
where they are situated. 
The State shall further provide adequate and effective support services for MSMEs to 
enable communities to create, invent, determine, develop, and promote products and services that 
are rooted in their culture, community resources, creativity, connection, and competitive 
advantage. 
SECTION 3. Objectives. – This Act aims to: 
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(a) Provide a package of assistance for MSMEs with minimum viable products to develop 
new, innovative, and more complex products with significant improvement in the areas of 
quality, product development, design, packaging, standards compliance, marketability, 
virality, production capability, brand development, and export potential, among others; 
 
(b) Assist rural communities in achieving competitive and innovation- and creativity-driven 
local economies; 
 
(c) Promote convergence of initiatives from local government units (LGUs), national 
government agencies (NGAs), and the private sector, as well as international trade 
communities and organizations, in the development and promotion of Philippine products, 
whether for export or domestic market; and 
 
(d) Establish the "Creative Philippines" Trustmark as a guarantee of excellence, uniqueness, 
and cultural relevance in filipino products and services. 
 
SECTION 4. Institutionalization of the Creative Philippines Program. – The Creative 
Philippines Program, herein referred to as the Program, is hereby institutionalized to serve as the 
government's stimulus and support program for the empowerment, promotion, and development 
of MSMEs in the countryside through the use of indigenous raw materials, the utilization of local 
skills and talents, and the development of unique and creative processes. 
 
SECTION 5. Program Components. – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in 
partnership with the LGUs, as well as with other relevant national government agencies, shall a 
comprehensive package of assistance to the Program beneficiaries, such as the following: 
 
(a) Product Development, including: 
 
(i) Product Design - design assistance to new products, product adaptation, product 
diversification, and expansion of existing product lines; 
 
(ii) Packaging and Labeling - assistance to new packaging improvement of package 
design, or labeling, in coordination with the Design Center of the Philippines; 
 
(iii) Technology Updating - conduct workshops on new technology procedures, 
materials, and processing to increase production quality and quantity, in 
coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST); 
 
(iv) Product Enhancement - provide seminars to increase design awareness and 
appreciation of product or merchandise development and the industrial design 
profession; AND 
 
(v) Branding- conduct workshops on product branding and narrative and 
storytelling 
 


(vi) Cultural Relevance and Consciousness - conduct training on cultural relevance 
and consciousness, in coordination with the National Commission on Culture and 
the Arts (NCCA) and, when applicable, with the National Commission on 
Indigenous Peoples (NCIP); 
 
(b) Capacity Building shall be provided through training opportunities focusing on 
improving the human aspect of Creative Philippines, including business skills training and 
business counseling; 
 
(c) Standards and Market Compliance where beneficiaries shall be trained and capacitated 
to observe standards and comply with the requirements of DTI- Bureau of Philippine 
Standards, Food and Drug Administration, and the Intellectual Property Office of the 
Philippines, and other concerned government agencies. Monitoring and evaluation 
schemes shall be developed and maintained to ensure that products under the Creative 
Philippines conform to these standards; and 
 
(d)  Market Access and Product Promotion where beneficiaries shall receive support in 
market access and promotion of products across different platforms, in coordination with 
the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). These platforms 
may include multimedia advocacy campaigns, physical and virtual trade fairs, and Creative 
Philippines Hubs. 
 
SECTION 6. Coverage. – The Creative Philippines Program shall cover material products 
and skills-based services known to or developed in an area or locality. This shall include the 
following products and services: 
 
(a) Agricultural-based Products such as coffee, cacao, other agricultural produce, agri-
processed products like processed meats, coconut oil, preserved and processed seafood 
products, and plants and crops indigenous to the Philippines, especially as well as agri-
tourism services related to such products; 
(b) Arts and Crafts such as coco coir, weaves, bamboo, paper artistry, and wood; 
(c) Home and Fashion / Creative Artisanal Products such as gifts, souvenir items, furniture, 
ornaments, houseware, garments, and textiles; 
(d) Processed Food such as fruits and nuts, local delicacies and kakanin (sticky rice cakes), 
juices, wines, tea, and other beverage, pastries, and baked goods, preserved food sauces, 
cakes, other dessert products, food supplements, and culinary-based specialty products; 
and 
(e) Skills-based Services and Other Products such as hilot or traditional Filipino massage, 
sculpting, essential oils and other wellness products, industrial goods, soaps, and other 
personal care goods, and cosmetics. 
 
In dealing with indigenous products, both tangible and intangible, the free, prior, and 
informed consent shall always be obtained from the community who owns such products, pursuant 
to Republic Act No. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act. 
 


SECTION 7. Creative Philippines Trustmark. – The DTI shall establish the Creative 
Philippines Trustmark that shall signify that the services and products have been marked excellent 
in terms of quality, design, value, creativity, uniqueness, cultural relevance, and marketability. It 
shall be a symbol representing the country's best products. 
 
SECTION 8. Establishment of Creative Philippines Hubs. – Creative Philippines Hubs 
shall be established within the Go Lokal! Program of the DTI, within the shops and outlets of the 
Duty Free Philippines Corporation, and within other market access platforms of the government 
that are strategically located areas for local and foreign consumers. likewise, the government shall 
also establish or assist in the establishment of online marketplaces, including the logistical 
infrastructure to ensure the efficient functioning, where consumers can access and purchase 
Creative Philippines products. 
 
SECTION 9. Beneficiaries. – The regional and provincial offices of the DTI shall, in 
cooperation with the concerned LGUs, determine the beneficiaries of the Program. The guidelines 
and mechanism for the selection of beneficiaries shall be formulated by the implementing agencies 
identified by this Act. 
 
SECTION 10. Administration of the Program. – Every LGU and every DTI Regional 
Office shall assign an officer who shall administer, supervise, and implement the Program. 
 
SECTION 11. Implementing Agencies. – The DTI shall implement the provisions of this 
Act, in coordination with the following agencies: 
 
(a) Cooperative Development Authority (CDA); 
(b) Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); 
(c) Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); 
(d) DOST 
(e) DA 
(f) DOT 
(g) DCP 
(h) CITEM 
(i) NCCA 
(j) NCIP  
 
SECTION 12. Repository of Creative Philippines Products. – the DTI shall establish a 
repository of Creative Philippines products where information regarding the products can be 
shared for purposes of archiving and knowledge management. 
 
The DTI shall also develop and maintain a website that shall serve as the primary source 
of information on information regarding the Creative Philippines products. The website shall also 
endeavor towards e-commerce to provide sales and marketing support to partner MSMEs.  
 
SECTION 13. Integration in the Seal of Good Local Governance. – The development 
and promotion of Creative Philippines products within their respective local communities shall be 
one of the indicators of Local Government Units’ compliance with the Tourism, Heritage 


Development, Culture, and Arts criteria of the Seal of Good Local Governance, pursuant to Section 
3 (i) of Republic Act No. 11292. LGUs shall receive additional points or commendations for 
developing and promoting Creative Philippines products in accordance with this Act. 
 
SECTION 14. Monitoring and Reporting. – To ensure that the objectives of the Program 
are properly met, and to encourage other local communities and LGUs to develop and promote 
Creative Philippines products in their respective localities, the DTI shall submit an Annual 
Summary Report of the Program to both Houses of Congress with an accurate account of the 
expenditures and activities relating to the Program. 
 
SECTION 15. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to carry out the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the DTI. 
Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall 
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
The LGUs concerned shall set aside the amount needed to implement the provisions of this 
Act. 
 
SECTION 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the DTI, in consultation with the LGUs and other concerned agencies and 
relevant stakeholders, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective 
implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 17. Separability Clause. – Should any provision herein be declared 
unconstitutional the same shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 18. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or 
other issuances or parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
 
SECTION 19. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines. 
 
Approved,