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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Javi Benitez: If you can spend big money on flood control projects, why not on creative industries?

Javi Benitez: If you can spend big money on flood control projects, why not on creative industries?

Published Aug 21, 2025 11:24 pm

At A Glance

  • Negros Occidental 3rd district Rep. Javier Miguel "Javi" Benitez has made a serious pitch to the government to significantly increase the funding for the so-called "creative industries".
Negros Occidental 3rd district Rep. Javier Miguel "Javi" Benitez (Facebook)
Negros Occidental 3rd district Rep. Javier Miguel "Javi" Benitez (Facebook)


Negros Occidental 3rd district Rep. Javier Miguel "Javi" Benitez has made a serious pitch to the government to significantly increase the funding for the so-called "creative industries".
In his recent privilege speech at the House of Representatives, Benitez argued that this sector was worth investing in.
"Ang DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) na inatasan nating pangunahan ang paglago ng creative industries, tumanggap lamang ng P100 million noong 2025, at P50 million pa dito ang for later release. Literally, wala pa sa kalingkingan ng ating national budget," he said.
(The DTI, which was tasked to lead the expansion of the creative industries, only received a fund of P100 million this 2025, and P50 million of this was for later release. This is a pittance compared to the national budget.)
"Sa laki ng nagagastos natin sa flood control projects, baka naman pwede tayong mag-invest sa creative industries (With so much money being poured into flood control projects, perhaps we could invest some in creative industries)," added the "House Hotshots" member amd chairman of the Committee on Creative Industries.
Incidentally, flood control projects are under the microscope right now as a lot of them are supposedly tainted with corruption.
Benitez said that only 0.2 percent of the 2024 national budget was allocated for creative industries, which put food on the table for millions of Filipinos.
"Ang mas nakakalungkot, bumaba pa ito sa kasalukuyang taon! (The sad thing is, it went down further this year!)" the neophyte congressman said.
Despite all the odds, the sector is enjoying a boom period of sorts. "The creative industries is also experiencing an 8.7 percent growth rate, which is faster than the national growth rate."
"Ayon po sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), noong 2024, ito ay nagtatala ng 7.3 percent ng national GDP (Gross Domestic Product), na umaabot sa halos P2 trillion ng gross value added. 7.5 milyong Pilipino rin ang nagtatrabaho sa creative industries – at hindi pa kabilang dito ang mga informal unregistered businesses at creative freelancers," he said.
(According to the PSA, this sector accounts for 7.3 percent of the GDP, reaching nearly P2 trillion of gross value added. Some 7.5 million work in the creative industries--and this does not even include the informal unregistered businesses and creative freelancers.)
"It is now time to put the people’s money where our mouth is," Benitez further said.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) earlier said that just under P275 billion will be allocated to flood control projects in next year's national budget. The funding spread between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
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