What does it take for Filipino creatives to move from talent to sustainability? For Katha Pilipinas and Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE), the answer lies in pairing creative practice with business clarity, self-awareness, and community support.
In October 2024, PAGSIBOL: Grow and Thrive as an Artist-Entrepreneur was launched as a free, one-day creative leadership workshop at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. Developed by Katha Pilipinas in partnership with Metrobank Foundation through the MADE programme, PAGSIBOL formed part of MADE’s 40th anniversary celebration, themed SIBOL, a year-long reflection on growth, renewal, and artistic futures.
Building on the success of Navigating Freelancing Life as a Creative, Katha Pilipinas designed PAGSIBOL to address a familiar gap in the creative sector: the distance between artistic excellence and the tools needed to sustain a career. The programme introduced participants to essential business frameworks, branding strategies, and self-care practices, offering a holistic approach to creative entrepreneurship grounded in real-world realities.
Held on 12 October 2024, the workshop brought together emerging and mid-career creatives from across disciplines. Sessions were led by practitioners deeply embedded in the creative ecosystem. Founder and Managing Director Daianne Moreno-Mempin opened the programme with Business Toolkit for Creatives, framing professional practice as a form of creative responsibility. Christian Vallez followed with Branding Your Art, unpacking how artists can articulate value without diluting integrity, while Kai Soriano Sta. Cruz closed with Artful Balance, centring sustainability through personal wellbeing and long-term practice.
Beyond skills-building, PAGSIBOL functioned as a space for peer connection and shared reflection. Participants engaged not only with speakers but with one another, forming networks that extended beyond the room. This emphasis on community echoed the shared commitment of MADE and Katha Pilipinas to grassroots empowerment and long-term creative development.
As Metrobank Art and Design Excellence marked four decades of championing Filipino artists, PAGSIBOL stood as a forward-looking expression of that legacy, one that recognises that creative growth today requires more than talent alone. It requires structure, support, and spaces where artists are equipped to thrive on their own terms.