Senator Imee Marcos expressed confidence that the Young Creatives Challenge (YC2) will open doors for young Filipino talents. She envisions it as a platform where the next generation of greats will emerge in music, literature, and fine arts, including the ever-evolving digital landscape.
During her speech at the grand awarding ceremony for the YC2 held on March 21 at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura in Taguig City, Senator Marcos spoke with pride about the Filipino talents who joined the competition and how the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the competition’s lead agency, successfully pulled off the event.
“This is the first time we’ve launched this award, and like any new endeavors, it took time to refine the competition process,” Senator Marcos, a champion of the project, said.
“I’d like to congratulate all the participants for reaching this milestone in your artistic journey. In the face of many challenges and obstacles, you have indeed persisted, honed your skills, and unleashed your creativity in the most remarkable ways. Our lesson is one of hope. Panindigan mo ang sarili mo. Pangatawanan mo. Maniwala kayo sa talento ninyo,” she added applauding the participants’ perseverance and talent.
This nationwide competition saw 579 entries showcasing Filipino talent in songwriting, screenwriting, playwriting, graphic novels, animation, game development, and even online content creation.
“Lambing” by Rocky (Surigao City, Surigao del Norte) emerged victorious in the songwriting category. The screenwriting category, subdivided based on film length, awarded top honors to Fishing the Moon Out of Water by John Peter Chua (Quezon City) for short films and Bugkos: End of Childhood by Breech Asher Harani (Compostela, Davao de Oro) for full-length films.
Other category winners included: Playwriting: Ang Pagbuo ng Baliana by Esmeralda Albis (Minalabac, Camarines Sur); Graphic Novel: The Girl and the Tamaraw by AJRAVII (Quezon City); Animation: Ang Kampanilya by Meeproduction (Makati City); Game Development: High Times by YYM Danni (Manila City); and Online Content Creation: Rose Ann Factolerin Espina and Kirby Jay Factolerin Caragan (Cebu City)
Grand prize winners received a P1 million cash reward alongside support in registering their intellectual property and promoting their work for production or commercial release. Runners-up and consolation prizes were also awarded across categories.
Recognizing the evolving creative landscape, DTI awarded the best YC2-promoting TikTok content, highlighting the power of online platforms.
Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba, representing DTI, emphasized YC2’s role in supporting the creative sector as a driver of economic and cultural development. She reiterated the goal of making the Philippines a leading creative hub in Asia by 2030.
“This competition was formed in line with the Malikhaing Pinoy Program, which aimed to harness Filipino creativity as a key driver of economic growth through the development of a robust and all-inclusive creative ecosystem in the country. Our goal is to make the Philippines Asia’s leading hub by 2030, attracting talent and investment from across the region,” Undersecretary Aldaba stated.
A distinguished panel of judges with expertise in each category ensured a fair evaluation process.
Building on this success, DTI announced a bigger and better YC2 next year, further solidifying its commitment to celebrating Filipino creative excellence.