Indonesia and Philippines boost creative economy cooperation

Indonesia and the Philippines have agreed to strengthen bilateral ties within the creative economy to expand market access across Southeast Asia. Indonesian Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya and Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Christopher B. Montero discussed leveraging talent exchange and the creation of commercialized cultural products to benefit both nations.

A primary example of this collaboration is the ‘Batik-Barong’ initiative, which integrates traditional Philippine Barong attire with Indonesian batik motifs. Beyond product development, the two countries are exploring promotional exchanges and pop-up exhibitions to allow creative businesses to test consumer responses in partner markets.

On a regional level, Indonesia supports the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairmanship goal to establish the ASEAN Center of Excellence for Creative Industries (ACE-CI) in Manila. This center aims to foster a unified creative economy ecosystem across the ASEAN region.