DTI positions Phl as dev’t hub in AsPac

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is positioning the Philippines as a competitive development hub and offshore destination in the Asia-Pacific region.

The DTI and the Board of Investments (BOI) are preparing for the local gaming industry’s participation in the Global Game Exhibition (G-STAR 2014) that will be held in Busan, South Korea next month.

G-Star is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

“We were invited by the ASEAN-Korea Center (AKC) to promote Philippine game software in the Korean market and provide business networking opportunities between local companies and Korean buyers at the ASEAN Pavilion of the G-STAR this year,” said Trade Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr.

“Together with the Board of Investments (BOI), the DTI is persistently promoting the Philippines as a viable investment location for international game development companies, game-related services, and offshore studios,” he added.

The Philippine delegation will be composed of officials and staff of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Seoul and the BOI, as well as company members of the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) and Animation Council of the Philippines Inc. (ACPI).

“In this upcoming event in Korea, we intend to pursue business development initiatives of the industry, and represent the various Philippine game development services such as art, animation, programming, and support services,” Manalo said.

Early this year, the DTI gathered top Japanese game development companies in the Philippines to explore potential business opportunities in the country.

“In supporting and promoting the country’s game development industry, we are mainly banking on potentials of the strong, promising and globally competitive industry as well as the technologically-savvy, passionate and creative talent pool,” Manalo said.

DTI said the local game development industry has ample room for growth as it is now in the same position as the now booming call center industry some 10 to 15 years ago.

The Philippines has been encouraging large studios to invest in the Philippines and take advantage of the country’s large talent pool.