Last August, WomenBizPH’s General Membership Meeting brought together women entrepreneurs, business leaders, advocates, and stakeholders to the Ayala Museum for “LIKHA FILIPINA: Where Arts, Culture, and Tourism Create Opportunities”; an amazing showcase of what our creative economy is capable of as well as the many opportunities it allows.
Now, this is one gathering I’m very excited to attend. Kimstore has provided many Filipino creatives with abot-kayang gadgets to flex their capabilities after all. So I’m always welcome to see the insights and discussions shared by those who’re able to use these tools best.
The Role of the Creative Economy
The event starts with a tour of the Ayala Museum; a fitting backdrop for the theme of our discussion. Walking down the art pieces allows us to take in our rich Filipino heritage and culture while also absorbing the stories that accompany each. It also places us in the right headspace for an actual discussion where an impressive lineup of women shared their insights and ideas.
Distinguished experts and practitioners from the food, heritage, tourism, and even the hospitality sector were asked to participate in our panel discussion on “The Creative Economy: Unlocking Opportunities Through Arts, Culture, and Tourism”. A fitting thesis for our museum tour.
There, we were treated to excellent insights from established industry leaders like Clang Garcia of the World Food Travel Association, Ivan Dy of Old Manila Walks, Aprille Tijam of Ayala Museum, Dr. Paulo Tugbang of the Department of Tourism Philippines, and Vikki Aquino of Okada Manila.
Our creative sector is a meaningful emerging sector for our economy in this digital age after all and so it also pays to explore how we can transform these into innovative products and services while preserving our authentic Filipino cultural identity. Especially since the creative field is one such place where women are able to find opportunities for success.
Progress in the Field
On top of our panel discussion, President Rosemarie Bosch Ong also came up to deliver her Milestone Report, highlighting how far WomenBizPH has come in its original mission. It spotlights its accomplishments, activities, partnerships, and initiatives–all important milestones to reach if we’re to uplift women all over the region.
And to that I say, thank you for the hard work! Sure, we still have a few more ways to go and many more challenges to overcome but we’ve already made significant strides too. Everyone’s collective efforts have done a lot to level the playing field, inspiring more and more women who wish to pursue their dreams. Not to mention shining a spotlight on their accomplishments.
It truly makes me proud to be a member of this amazing community.
Women as Drivers for Creative Expression
All-in-all, the event was a great showcase of the significant role that women occupy in the creative value chain. Artisans, designers, chefs, tour operators, wellness practitioners, and even cultural stewardship–these are all occupations where the Filipina has thrived and excelled and that list is growing more and more each year!
She just needs the right kind of support; that one final push to get her talents recognized on the international stage.
Art and culture isn’t just limited to the things we preserve in shiny glass cases and carefully curated showrooms. It’s also reflected in things like our food, our history, our livelihoods, the stories we tell each other, the unique experiences we share. It’s a continuous conversation that we all take part in, whether we realize it or not.
So it also falls on us to preserve this. To leave a good foundation for the next generation of dreamers to add to and to build on.
Kim Lato,
Founder and CEO of Kimstore
For gadgets and electronics, get it at Kimstore!
