DTI urges animators, game developers to tap FTA markets
Business Mirror
August 2, 2016
THE Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) urged the animation and game-development sectors, considered high-growth segments in the Asean and other partner economies that have free-trade agreements (FTAs) with the Philippines, to market their services to these trading partners.
Anthony B. Rivera, EMB assistant director, hoped the participants would take advantage of the information they would get from the session. He also invited them to visit the EMB Library that has been converted into a coworking space open for local start-ups.
Maria Teresa Loring, officer in charge of EMB-Services Division, presented to the participants the FTAs in trade in services. She said services exports play an important role in the Philippine economy and commitments are covered in various trade-in-services agreement.
She briefed the participants on the existing FTAs to which the Philippines is a signatory, namely, Asean Free-Trade Area, Asean-China Free-Trade Area, Asean-Korea Free-Trade Area, Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free-Trade Area, Asean-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement and Asean–India Free-Trade Area.
She explained the difference between multilateral partnership agreement and bilateral trade agreement. Preference is given to bilateral agreement being mutually agreed by two contracting countries, like Asean-Korea, would involve commitments composed of several countries, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Korea. Multilateral trade agreement and benefits can be enjoyed by all signatory Asean member-states and partner economies.
Loring said services, unlike goods, have four modes of supply: 1) cross-border supply, which include any goods or services which are being transmitted online; 2) consumption abroad, which include foreign students studying in the Philippines and tourist foreigners awaiting of services in the country; 3) commercial presence, which involves investment to another country and establishing a satellite office or marketing office anywhere in the world; and 4) movement of natural persons, which include people doing a certain activity for a specific period in a company based in another country.
Adrian H. Sablan and Mark Andrew C. Herrin, resource persons from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, advised the animators and game developers on how to avoid infringement before applying for copyright of their original works. They said a company which contracted an animator to do animation with them, publish his or her work without the knowledge of the employer can sue the animator.
In the area of financing, the Animation Council of the Philippines and Game Development Association, represented by their Presidents Juan Miguel del Rosario and Alvin Juban, respectively, were upbeat about the possibility of the association or cooperative relending package through the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Small and Medium Investment and Loans for Entrepreneurs in support to their micro and small entrepreneur members.
Aldwin Yam of DBP said the bank may package a financing program exclusively for the creative industry. □
Gliceria N. Cademia, Trade and Industry Development Specialist, Export Marketing Bureau, Department of Trade and Industry