Designing Futures: How the DTI-Design Center Champions Creative Industries for Global MSMEs

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) comprise 99.63% of businesses in the Philippines, yet they continue to face persistent barriers to growth: limited access to financing, constrained production capacity, and difficulty reaching new markets. In response, the Design Center of the Philippines, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is advancing a bold strategy, positioning design not merely as aesthetic enhancement, but as a catalyst for economic transformation. “Design is our soft power,” said Rhea Matute, Executive Director of the Design Center. “It draws from our cultural depth, our resourcefulness, and our capacity to imagine. When we embed design into enterprise, we don’t just improve products, we unlock new forms of value, dignity, and global relevance for Filipino creators.”