Women make up the majority of workers in the Philippines’ tourism and creative industries, but remain underrepresented in leadership, ownership, and decision-making roles, according to experts during a recent public webinar organized by the Philippine APEC Study Center Network (PASCN) of the òòò½´«Ã½ (òòò½´«Ã½), in collaboration with the Asian Institute of Management – Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism (AIM-ALT CFT).
Speakers highlighted a gap between women’s participation and empowerment in two of the country’s key growth sectors. While these industries collectively generated PHP 4.29 trillion in gross value added and employed more than 14 million Filipinos, women—despite comprising the majority of workers—remain underrepresented in positions of leadership and control over economic resources.
Tourism alone contributed PHP 2.35 trillion in direct gross value added and supported 6.75 million jobs, accounting for 13.8 percent of total employment. Meanwhile, the creative industries generated PHP 1.94 trillion and employed 7.51 million Filipinos, or 15.4 percent of total employment. These figures highlight the sectors’ growing role as engines of economic growth and job creation.
Women’s participation is not translating to empowerment
Women account for approximately 56 percent of the tourism workforce and 57 percent in the creative industries, with strong representation in hospitality, food services, handicrafts, cultural production, and community-based enterprises.
However, Dr. Eylla Laire Gutierrez, OIC-Executive Director of AIM-ALT CFT, emphasized that high participation does not necessarily translate into meaningful empowerment.
Women remain largely concentrated in labor-intensive segments of the value chain—such as production, processing, and service delivery—while having limited access to higher-value areas, including asset ownership, brand control, intellectual property, and investment.
This imbalance extends to leadership. According to Department of Tourism official Roberto Alabado III, gender disparities become more pronounced at higher levels of management.
“From the foundation, we have a lot of women, but as we go up the ladder, the participation of women is diminishing,” he said.
Women are highly visible in operational and creative roles, yet men continue to dominate higher-level management and policymaking positions. While progress has been made with more women entering leadership roles, inequality persists.
Alabado also emphasized that structural factors such as poverty, geographic divides, and broader social conditions continue to shape these disparities.
Industry efforts show progress, but gaps remain
From an industry perspective, Ms. Cleofe Albiso, Managing Director of Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, reflected on how these insights resonate with on-the-ground realities. She underscored the importance of integrating lived experiences into research and policymaking.
Within their organization, women comprise 40% of the workforce and more than half of executive leadership.
While gender parity is improving, disparities remain across departments, with engineering still largely male-dominated and functions such as sales, marketing, and housekeeping having higher female representation.
“We’re not where we want to be, but we’re a work in progress,” she said.
Albiso added that deliberate efforts to promote women’s leadership and career advancement have led to increased representation in management, alongside initiatives supporting cultural preservation, inclusivity, and community partnerships.
Empowering women as a strategic economic priority
Beyond firm-level practices, experts emphasized the broader economic case for gender inclusion.
John Louie Sabal, Assistant Professor at Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, stressed that empowering women is not only a matter of equity but also a key driver of inclusive growth.
“Supporting women is therefore not only a question of fairness. It is a strategic economic imperative,” Sabal said.
He noted that women’s income tends to yield stronger social returns, making their participation increasingly important amid demographic shifts such as declining fertility and an aging population.
At the community level, creative practitioners also demonstrate how women contribute to both economic and cultural development.
Ms. Melanie Reyes-Tuquet, founder of the Talavera ARTists Guild (TAG), shared how women can take leadership roles in organizing groups that amplify marginalized voices, especially in areas outside urban centers.
“We try to keep on adding cultural pride and identity through our arts as a contribution to our community,” she said.
Her emphasis on forming a guild highlights empowerment through unity by working together.
Closing the gap
As tourism and creative industries continue to expand, experts stressed the need for targeted interventions to close gender gaps in access, ownership, and leadership.
These include strengthening women’s access to financing, skills development, and digital tools, as well as ensuring greater representation in decision-making processes.
Ultimately, speakers emphasized that unlocking the full economic and cultural potential of these sectors will depend on moving beyond participation toward genuine empowerment.
“Women are not just peripheral actors, but they are actually foundational,” one speaker said, calling for policies and programs that recognize and support women not only as workers, but as leaders and decision-makers.
Watch the webinar playback here: . ### — RTG
