The government is keen on helping advance the country‘s game development sector, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said over the weekend.
Through the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council Secretariat under the Competitiveness and Innovation Group, the DTI signed an agreement with the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) to help develop and promote the video game industry.
“By strengthening collaboration between government and industry, we create more opportunities for studios to grow, for creators to innovate, and for new talent to emerge,” said Trade Assistant Secretary and Competitiveness and Innovation Group Supervising Head Nylah Rizza Bautista, who signed the agreement with
GDAP president James Ronald Lo.
GDAP, founded in 2007, is a non-profit organization is the government-recognized representative body for local and foreign game development, service, and technology studios operating in the country.
Under the agreement, DTI and GDAP will partner in developing initiatives that support Filipino game developers, studios, and creative entrepreneurs, including industry events, capacity-building programs, international market access opportunities, and platforms that highlight the creativity and competitiveness of Philippine-made games.
Lo said GDAP sees DTI as a true partner in the arts and creative industries, sharing the goal of pushing the Philippine game development sector forward and creating more opportunities for Filipino developers.
The collaboration also aligns with the objectives of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act (PCIDA) and DTI’s flagship Malikhaing Pinoy Program.
Signed in July 2022, the PCIDA, or Republic Act 11904, aims to promote, develop, and protect the country’s creative sectors. It establishes a council to create a long-term plan, enhance intellectual property rights, and foster employment, aiming to make the Philippines a top creative hub in Asia.
The Malikhaing Pinoy Program, a DTI initiative, seeks to harness the capabilities and creativity of Filipinos for economic growth and recovery from challenges.
It promotes various sectors of the creative industry in the Philippines, such as game development, animation, furniture design, music, advertising, fashion design, film, and the visual arts.
Also present at the signing of the agreement were Philippine Creative Industries Development Council Secretariat (PCIDCS) Deputy Executive Director Paolo Federico Ramos, GDAP executive director Amierose Ramos, GDAP secretariat Daphne Leigh Talusik, and GDAP board members Ria Lu and Lord Christian Gosingtian.
In 2025, local game developers earned $4.87 million (P285.87 million) in export sales at Gamescom 2025, the world’s largest gaming trade fair in Germany.
