MANILA, Philippines — Senator Bam Aquino has partnered with P-pop group SB19 and its talent management agency, 1Z Entertainment, to push for enhanced government backing for Filipino creative workers seeking international opportunities.
Aquino filed Senate Bill No. 2517, also known as the Philippine Agency for the Creative Economy (PACE) Act, highlighting the sector’s vital role as a key driver of employment, innovation, and culture. The creative industry currently contributes around 7.6% to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) and supports over 7.5 million workers.
If passed, SB 2517 will establish a national framework aimed at facilitating international mobility, expanding global market reach, and easing access for local creative goods and services abroad. The bill proposes dedicated support mechanisms, including assistance with visa processing, travel logistics, and participation in global showcases, festivals, and market partnerships.
The initiative stems from a May 26, 2026 meeting between Aquino—who chairs the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship—and SB19 members Pablo (John Paulo Bagnas Nase) and Josh Cullen.
During the discussion, the artists highlighted recurring obstacles local performers face abroad, such as travel documentation hurdles and a lack of state assistance.
“Pablo and Josh were with me. They presented issues and problems of artists who go abroad. If you’re an artist, then you fly, you’re on your own,” Aquino said.
“We had a meeting with Sen. Bam and there we proposed a bill. We presented a bill. We proposed that it is for creative workers, or actually for the whole creative industry,” Josh said.
Aquino noted that the team is looking into establishing a body modeled after the Korean Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), which successfully promotes South Korea’s creative sector globally.
Alongside the proposed PACE agency, the measure seeks to bolster support through a reinforced Creative Industries Development Fund.
“By helping Filipino creatives reach the world and enabling Philippine creative goods and services to thrive in international markets, this measure seeks not only to generate jobs, investments and economic growth, but also to showcase Philippine culture, creativity and national identity on the global stage,” Aquino stated in the bill’s explanatory note.
“The Philippines has already demonstrated that it can produce world-class creative talent. It is now time to build a world-class government framework that enables Filipino creativity to reach its full global potential,” he added.