Section 4Sec./Art. 4

Reengineering the Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines and Strengthening its Mandate. The Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines (PDDCP) is hereby reengineered and renamed into the Design Center of the Philippines, herein referred to as the Design Center. It shall be attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). It is mandated to promote design as a creative tool for improving the quality and competitiveness and branding of Filipino products in the global market; as a strategic tool of value creation for sustainable economic growth and development; and as an innovative tool for enhancing the quality of human life.

The Design Center is further mandated to:

(a) Develop and maintain a creative research and development program on product design, development and improvement of Philippine products and services, including those created by the small and medium enterprises (SMEs);

(b) Conduct continuing research on product and product packaging design trends, materials and processing technologies;

(c) Create, develop, promote and upgrade the design of all Philippine products and services, including those created by the SMEs;

(d) Conduct seminars and workshops on product design and development;

(e) Set up design exhibitions;

(f) Publish design-related materials;

(g) Ensure protection of Filipino design ideas, products and other outputs of creative talents;

(h) Promote design education throughout the country to meet the needs of Philippine industries; and

(i) Promote Philippine design here and all over the world.

To effectively carry out this mandate, the Design Center shall exercise the following powers and functions:

National Design Policy

(1) Formulate the National Design Policy, herein referred to as the NDP, aligning it with the governments economic agenda;

(2) Continuously formulate five (5)-year plans that are in line with the general NDP, but reflective of the changing conditions in both the domestic and international environments;

(3) Coordinate, monitor and assess the implementation of the NDP, and, when necessary, update the NDP in the light of changing market conditions in both the domestic and international environments;

(4) Establish an evaluation system through which the results of the NDP (as well as singular projects and programs) could be assessed and improved;

(5) Collaborate internationally with similar design policy advisory bodies of other countries and gain insights and investigate on how successful design practices in other countries can be transferred and adapted in the context of Filipino creative and knowledge-based industries as well as transition to the conceptual-based economy;

(6) Establish dialogue with designers to encourage them to actively engage in the implementation of design policy;

(7) Provide a forum for design stakeholders on current and emerging issues in the design profession;

Design Awareness

(8) Promote the design profession and the value of design;

(9) Build awareness of the importance of design to the public, through local and international exhibitions, conferences, competitions, community and school activities and other design-related events;

(10) Promote awareness on the protection of intellectual property rights;

(11) Establish more public creative zones and environments in Metro Manila and other central hubs in different regions across the country;

Design Integration

(12) Create networks and establish venues where all industries could interact in design dialogues and workshops, thereby promoting knowledge exchange, capability development and collaborative content creation;

(13) Identify and encourage public and private collaborations regarding design, competitiveness, governance and innovation to promote networking, business and partnership opportunities;

Design for Development

(14) Conduct design-led approaches and competitions for the design industry to help government solve socioeconomic and environmental challenges;

(15) Actively push for the use of design and innovation in government offices and departments, with the objective of coming up with programs and processes that will enable the government to simplify and streamline systems, so it can deliver its services more effectively and efficiently;

(16) Maintain a standard of sustainable design in all projects that are undertaken by the Design Center;

(17) Employ design as a fundamental tool for communicating a strong, singular identity of the country;

Design and Innovation

(18) Create a skill development, mentoring and support system for individuals, corporations, partnerships or associations, particularly SMEs, who want to benefit from the strategic use of good design in business administration, commerce, trade and other enterprises; and

(19) Undertake research and development on the different design strengths and assets of the Philippines (i.e. manipulation and development of raw materials that are indigenous to the country) so we can be able to come up with globally relevant yet uniquely Filipino innovations.1wphi1