Design Center of the Philippines
The Design Center of the Philippines is a national government agency under the Department of Trade and Industry, mandated by Republic Act No. 10557 to promote design as a tool for economic transformation, serving Philippine MSMEs and Filipino designers through policy, services, learning, and flagship programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersPasay City, Philippines
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Center of the Philippines does
The Design Center of the Philippines is a national government agency attached to the Department of Trade and Industry, established under Republic Act No. 10557 in 2013 to promote design as a creative, strategic, and innovative tool for Philippine enterprise. It operates six program areas — Design Policy, Design Promotion, Design Innovation, Design Services, Design Learning, and Design Protection — and runs flagship programs including the biennial Good Design Award Philippines, Design Week Philippines, the International Design Conference, and the Interdesign Siargao Island 2026 workshop hosted with the World Design Organization and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. The agency also maintains the re:SOURCE Center, a design library and learning resource, and operates the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls at the International Trade Center Complex in Pasay City.
Its primary beneficiary base is Philippine MSMEs, which comprise 99.63% of all businesses in the country, with a secondary segment of Filipino designers and creative professionals. Services are delivered at no direct cost to beneficiaries through the DTI's regional and provincial office network, supplemented by international market access platforms such as Manila Fame and Propak Asia. The Design Center is funded entirely through Philippine national government appropriations, and detailed financial disclosures are not publicly presented. Leadership comprises Executive Director Rhea Matute and a government-appointed management team; no private shareholders or external investors exist.
Design Center of the Philippines firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Center of the Philippines
- Legal name
- Design Center of the Philippines
- Website
- https://designcenter.ph
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Design Center of the Philippines is a national government agency under the Department of Trade and Industry, mandated by Republic Act No. 10557 to promote design as a tool for economic transformation, serving Philippine MSMEs and Filipino designers through policy, services, learning, and flagship programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Center of the Philippines industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Design Promotion Services
- NAICS
- Industrial Design Services (541420), Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Graphic Design Services (541430), Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural Services (54131)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA), Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)
Keywords
Where Design Center of the Philippines is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pasay City
- HQ country
- Philippines
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Center of the Philippines business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Government Appropriations: As a national government agency attached to the Department of Trade and Industry, the Design Center is funded through the national budget and appropriations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Design Center of the Philippines product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Design Center of the Philippines is a national government agency attached to the Department of Trade and Industry that promotes design as a strategic tool for improving the quality, competitiveness, and branding of Filipino products in the global market. It supports Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Filipino designers through six program areas—Design Policy, Design Promotion, Design Innovation, Design Services, Design Learning, and Design Protection—and runs flagship programs including the biennial Good Design Award Philippines, Design Week Philippines, the International Design Conference, and the re:SOURCE Center design library. Services and programs are delivered at no direct cost to beneficiaries, funded through national government appropriations.
Product overview
Design Center of the Philippines is a national government agency that provides design promotion and support services through six interconnected program areas: Design Policy, Design Promotion, Design Innovation, Design Services, Design Learning, and Design Protection. The organization operates flagship programs including the biennial Good Design Award Philippines, the International Design Conference, Design Week Philippines, and the Interdesign Siargao Island 2026 workshop. Additionally, it maintains a re:SOURCE Center offering design learning resources. The agency is mandated by Republic Act No. 10557 to promote design as a creative tool for improving Filipino product competitiveness, a strategic tool for value creation, and an innovative tool for enhancing quality of life.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Good Design Award Philippines: A biennial program that recognizes breakthrough solutions addressing 'wicked problems' and improves quality of life, championing design excellence with Filipino value of malasakit (compassion).
- Design Week Philippines
- International Design Conference
- Likhang Filipino
Products and services
- Good Design Award Philippines (GDA-PH) Biennial flagship award program that recognizes breakthrough design solutions addressing "wicked problems" and improving quality of life, championing design excellence that combines universal ideals of form, function, and innovation with the Filipino value of malasakit (compassion). Open to Filipino designers, enterprises, and creators.
- International Design Conference Annual flagship conference that brings together design professionals and thought leaders to discuss design trends and practices, supporting professional development and ecosystem growth.
- Design Week Philippines Annual national flagship event celebrating and promoting Filipino design culture and innovation, elevating Philippine design on the global stage.
- Interdesign Siargao Island 2026 Two-week international workshop hosted in partnership with the World Design Organization (WDO) and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, exploring design innovation and resiliency for tropical contexts. Targeted at design professionals and creative practitioners.
- Design Services Direct design support services provided by the Design Center to Filipino enterprises and creators to improve product quality, branding, and market competitiveness, particularly for MSMEs.
- re:SOURCE Center Library of design resources, books, and learning materials that supports design education and professional development for Filipino designers and creative professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- The Design Center drives economic transformation for 99.63% of Philippine businesses that are MSMEs
Companies that use Design Center of the Philippines
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Design Center of the Philippines technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Design Center of the Philippines partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.
- World Design Organization (WDO)flagshipWDO's Interdesign programme returns with a two-week workshop on Siargao Island (Philippines) exploring 'Design Innovation and Resiliency for the Tropics'. The Design Center serves as a hosting partner for this flagship international workshop.
- De La Salle-College of Saint BenildeflagshipCo-hosting the Interdesign Siargao Island 2026 workshop alongside the Design Center and World Design Organization. Educational partnership focused on design innovation and resiliency for tropical contexts.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Design Center of the Philippines competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- World Design Organization (WDO): International non-governmental organization promoting industrial design globally. Comparable as a flagship partner (Interdesign Siargao 2026) and ecosystem body that national design agencies engage with to elevate their design cultures internationally.
- iF Design Foundation: Foundation promoting design awareness, education, and research globally. Comparable in mission around elevating design's role in society and supporting design culture, though privately organized and Germany-based.
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: U.S. Smithsonian-affiliated design museum and education institution. Comparable as a public-purpose design promotion and learning institution, though museum-led rather than government-enterprise-focused like Design Center of the Philippines.
Direct peers
- Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP): South Korea's national design promotion institute under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Directly comparable as an Asian government agency driving design policy, education, awards, and enterprise competitiveness.
- DesignSingapore Council: Singapore's national design promotion agency under the DesignSingapore Council. Most directly comparable as a government-mandated agency driving design policy, promotion, and capability building for national MSMEs and enterprises.
- Design Council (United Kingdom): The UK's national strategic body for design, an established government-backed design promotion organization. Comparable in mandate to champion design's role in economic and social value creation.
- Japan Institute of Design Promotion: Japan's national design promotion organization administering the Good Design Award (G Mark). Highly comparable given its award program, government affiliation, and role in promoting national design excellence globally.
- Danish Design Centre: Denmark's national design promotion foundation backed by public-private partnership. Comparable as a publicly-supported design advocacy and capability-building organization with a strong national-brand-export mandate similar to Design Center of the Philippines.
- Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC): Thailand's national creative and design promotion resource center. Comparable as a regional Southeast Asian government-affiliated body focused on design promotion, learning, and creative industry development.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Design Center of the Philippines social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Center of the Philippines compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Design Center of the Philippines financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Center of the Philippines leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Design Center of the Philippines funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Center of the Philippines M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Design Center of the Philippines
What does Design Center of the Philippines do?
The Design Center of the Philippines is a national government agency attached to the Department of Trade and Industry that promotes design as a strategic tool for improving the quality, competitiveness, and branding of Filipino products in the global market. It supports Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Filipino designers through six program areas—Design Policy, Design Promotion, Design Innovation, Design Services, Design Learning, and Design Protection—and runs flagship programs including the biennial Good Design Award Philippines, Design Week Philippines, the International Design Conference, and the re:SOURCE Center design library. Services and programs are delivered at no direct cost to beneficiaries, funded through national government appropriations.
Is Design Center of the Philippines a public or private company?
Design Center of the Philippines is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Design Center of the Philippines founded?
Design Center of the Philippines was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Design Center of the Philippines based?
Design Center of the Philippines is headquartered in Pasay City, Philippines, in the Asia region.
How does Design Center of the Philippines make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Appropriations.
Who are Design Center of the Philippines's main competitors?
Others on record are World Design Organization (WDO), iF Design Foundation and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Direct peers are Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP), DesignSingapore Council, Design Council (United Kingdom), Japan Institute of Design Promotion, Danish Design Centre and Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC).
Does Design Center of the Philippines have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Center of the Philippines.
What industry is Design Center of the Philippines in?
Design Center of the Philippines's product category is Government Design Promotion Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 541420 and its SIC code is 8700.