DTI goes to US to showcase PH creative services

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is conducting a roadshow in the United States this week to push for “creative services,” as the Philippines targets to capture at least 10 percent or roughly $24 billion of the $243-billion global animation and gaming industry.

Trade Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr. said government officials are set to go to New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, where they plan to talk to some of the biggest players in gaming, animation and software and software development.

At the same time, the Philippines will again make big push for industries where US-based firms can invest in, such as healthcare management and IT-business process management (IT-BPM).

“We will talk to specific companies there and convince them to come here to the Philippines and set up high technology facilities for animation and gaming because the value of technology transfer would be huge. We will be talking to the big boys there,” Manalo said, “We’re pursuing a very hot lead, but it’s a confidential project.”

The move to tap potential investments from the creative industry was part of the Philippines’ strategy to penetrate the three biggest global players in creative services, namely, United States, Japan and Korea, Manalo said.

“Japan, US and Korea are three of the biggest players globally in the creative services, which included animation, gaming, software and software development. This could mean more jobs for our country,” he added.

Last month, top game developers from Japan were in the country to meet with local players in the game and creative content development industry and tap potential opportunities for future collaborations.

According to Manalo, over 140 business matching sessions were recorded during the Game and Creative Contents Networking Philippines 2014, which featured presentations of industry experts from Japan’s Klab Cyberscorpion, Bandai Namco Games, Pierrot, Sega, and D2C.

The business matching event was meant to establish partnerships between Philippine and Japanese players in 3D design and animation services, game development and publishing, smart phone, I-phone, I-pad, android and RIM application development, gaming solutions, information technology (IT) development and outsourcing services, as well as  mobile and Internet start-up operations.

The DTI, however, has yet to establish ties with industry players from Korean companies engaged in gaming, animation, and software development.

“We might not have time this year to tap Korea, but we might do it next year. We’re asking our trade attaché there to look for prospects,” Manalo added.

At present, the Philippines contributes only $136 million to the global animation and gaming industry in terms of outsourcing activities.