Korea and ASEAN Deepen Cultural Partnership as 2026 Innovative Culture Forum Comes to Manila

 

The 2026 ASEAN-Korea Innovative Culture Forum (PIC), organized by Korea's MCST, KOFICE, and the ASEAN Foundation, will be held on November 7, 2026, at the Ayala Museum in Makati City. Themed "On Human Creative Sovereignty," the forum gathers policymakers and creative leaders from Korea and all 11 ASEAN states to discuss generative AI, copyright, and cultural IP. MapleStory's Chang-seop Kim will deliver the keynote, followed by four sessions with over 20 experts.

2026 ASEAN-Korea Innovative Culture Forum to Convene at Ayala Museum on November 7, Championing the Future of Human Creative Sovereignty and Cultural IP
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (MCST), together with the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) and the ASEAN Foundation, has officially announced that the “2026 ASEAN-Korea Innovative Culture Forum (Partnership for Innovative Culture - PIC)” will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at the prestigious Ayala Museum in Makati City.

Holding this year’s landmark forum in the Philippines carries exceptional diplomatic significance, as the nation assumes the 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship. Organized around the overarching theme, “On Human Creative Sovereignty: Shaping the Future of Imagination and Cultural IP,” the international conference aims to establish a high-level multilateral dialogue addressing the profound impact of generative artificial intelligence and digital transformation on creative industries, copyright protection, and cross-border intellectual property economies across Asia.

The forum is distinguished by an authoritative lineup of creative leaders and policymakers from Korea and all 11 ASEAN member states. Notably, Mr. Chang-seop Kim, General Director of NEXON’s iconic gaming franchise MapleStory, will deliver the forum’s Keynote Address. Reflecting on MapleStory’s unprecedented two-decade success across Southeast Asia via MapleStory SEA, Mr. Kim will share invaluable industry insights on expanding gaming worldviews into transmedia cultural intellectual properties (IP), sustained community building, and cross-sectoral brand collaborations.

Following the keynote, four comprehensive thematic sessions spanning Policy Governance, Industrial Expansion, ASEAN-Korea Multilateral Cooperation, and Youth Leadership will bring together over 20 prominent regional experts. Key discussions will explore how local cultural resources, indigenous heritage, and everyday creativity can be systematically transformed into legally protected, high-value cultural assets in alignment with the long-term strategic objectives of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

Alongside the academic and policy sessions, the forum is intrinsically linked with the contemporary art exhibition, “Gathering Point,” curated at the Ayala Museum from November 7 to November 13, 2026. The special seven-day showcase brings together visionary contemporary artists from six Asian nations, including the Philippines’ internationally acclaimed Mark Justiniani, Latthapon Korkiatarkul (Thailand), Kim Joon (Republic of Korea), Ari Bayuaji (Indonesia), Adam Phong (Malaysia), and Imhathai Suwatthanasilp (Thailand). Through diverse mediums ranging from kinetic optical installations to acoustic archival work, the exhibition demonstrates how physical materials, everyday memories, and collective traditions are reinterpreted through creative sovereignty.

The Organizing Committee has officially initiated an exclusive Application-Based Pre-Registration process for local arts and cultural administrators, museum and gallery curators, hotel art collection managers and senior hoteliers, creative tech startup founders, and aspiring youth leaders. Shortlisted delegates will receive full complimentary access to the forum proceedings, supported by a professional simultaneous interpretation system (Korean-English). Attendees will also be hosted to an authentic premium Korean culinary luncheon buffet and enjoy a complimentary instant photo booth experience designed to commemorate regional friendship.

Furthermore, delegates who actively participate throughout the entire day’s agenda (10:00 AM to 4:30 PM) will be automatically eligible for the Grand Finale Raffle Draw during the closing ceremony, featuring state-of-the-art Samsung smart devices (including Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Fit3), official BTS and SEVENTEEN collectors' albums, and luxury Sulwhasoo K-Beauty cosmetic gift sets.

Prospective delegates, cultural professionals, and academic researchers may submit their attendance credential applications through the official Google Forms registration portal. Due to museum gallery capacities and curated seat assignments, early registration is highly encouraged.

Registration Information

Prospective attendees, arts and culture professionals, museum and gallery curators, creative technologists, and academic researchers may submit their applications via the official registration portal:

Registration Link:
Google Forms: https://forms.gle/Q4fUW5TLBXbK8oWSA
Website: https://joinenjoy.com.ph/
(Due to limited gallery capacity and curated seating assignments, early registration is highly encouraged.)

About Island Resort Club Tour Services, Inc.

Established in the Philippines in 2002, Island Resort Club Tour Services, Inc. (IRC) is a premier MICE and destination management specialist with a proven track record in orchestrating high-level, bilateral governmental and corporate events adhering to rigorous state-level protocol standards. Notably, IRC spearheaded local operational management for the Korea-Philippines Business Forum, held on the occasion of the South Korean President’s state visit to the Philippines to commemorate the 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations. IRC is a fully accredited travel agency licensed in the Philippines, South Korea, and Cuba, and is officially designated by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea to process Korean electronic visas (e-visas). Through its flagship platform, "Join Enjoy," IRC continues to lead bilateral cultural exchange, tourism, and business connectivity between the Philippines and South Korea.

 

ASEAN-Korea Manila Forum to Tackle AI, Creativity, Cultural IP

 As artificial intelligence and hyper-digitalization fundamentally reshape global creative business models, how can Asian creators scale and safeguard their original intellectual properties? The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea (MCST), the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), and the ASEAN Foundation will address this pivotal question at the “2026 ASEAN-Korea Innovative Culture Forum,” taking place on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at the Ayala Museum, Makati City.Framed around the urgent agenda, “On Human Creative Sovereignty: Shaping the Future of Imagination and Cultural IP,” this premier business and creative dialogue serves as a bridge connecting South Korea’s globally established IP monetization infrastructure with Southeast Asia’s rapidly expanding creative ecosystem. Taking center stage as the keynote speaker is Mr. Chang-seop Kim, General Director of NEXON’s MapleStory a pioneering Korean digital IP that has maintained peak commercial vitality and player engagement across Southeast Asia for over 20 years. Mr. Kim will dissect the strategic mechanics behind sustainable IP longevity, demonstrating how interactive gaming lore can seamlessly expand into global consumer brands, musical productions, immersive urban theme parks, and cross-platform merchandise. 

Designed to foster tangible cross-border enterprise, the forum features intensive sessions dedicated to creative IP licensing, digital copyright governance, startup scaling, and youth-led tech innovations. Senior cultural policymakers, IP attorneys, creative technopreneurs, digital agency heads, and startup incubators from Korea and ASEAN will evaluate actionable frameworks for establishing an equitable, open IP marketplace across the Asia-Pacific region.

Complementing the commercial discussions, the forum will officially inaugurate the contemporary art exhibition “Gathering Point” in the Ayala Museum Lobby, running from November 7 through November 13, 2026. Featuring groundbreaking installations by Mark Justiniani (Philippines), Kim Joon (Korea), Latthapon Korkiatarkul (Thailand), Ari Bayuaji (Indonesia), Adam Phong (Malaysia), and Imhathai Suwatthanasilp (Thailand), the week-long exhibition highlights the essential nexus between human artistic origin and industrial IP scaling.

Admission to this high-level forum is strictly by advance curated registration, catering to visual art professionals, museum curators, boutique hotel art managers, digital media creators, and tech innovators.

Accredited delegates will enjoy complimentary access to all keynote and panel sessions, comprehensive bilingual translation, an executive Korean luncheon buffet, and an interactive instant photo booth installation. To honor the commitment of delegates attending the full symposium from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM, the organizers will stage a high-profile Grand Finale Raffle Draw during the concluding reception. Elite prizes include cutting-edge tech gear (Samsung Galaxy Buds 4, Galaxy Fit3, and JBL Bluetooth speakers), authentic K-pop memorabilia (official BTS and SEVENTEEN tour and vinyl albums), and premium K-Beauty collections.Registration is now accessible via the official online application form. Candidates are urged to register promptly to guarantee credentials.

Registration Information

Prospective attendees, arts and culture professionals, museum and gallery curators, creative technologists, and academic researchers may submit their applications via the official registration portal:

Registration Link:
Google Forms: https://forms.gle/Q4fUW5TLBXbK8oWSA
Website: https://joinenjoy.com.ph/
(Due to limited gallery capacity and curated seating assignments, early registration is highly encouraged.)

About Island Resort Club Tour Services, Inc.

Established in the Philippines in 2002, Island Resort Club Tour Services, Inc. (IRC) is a premier MICE and destination management specialist with a proven track record in orchestrating high-level, bilateral governmental and corporate events adhering to rigorous state-level protocol standards. Notably, IRC spearheaded local operational management for the Korea-Philippines Business Forum, held on the occasion of the South Korean President’s state visit to the Philippines to commemorate the 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations. IRC is a fully accredited travel agency licensed in the Philippines, South Korea, and Cuba, and is officially designated by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea to process Korean electronic visas (e-visas). Through its flagship platform, "Join Enjoy," IRC continues to lead bilateral cultural exchange, tourism, and business connectivity between the Philippines and South Korea.

This Filipino Startup Helps Local Businesses Bring Customers Back

GoBalik is making digital customer loyalty more accessible to Filipino small businesses, driven by the belief that these tools should not be reserved for big brands.

For many small businesses, attracting a customer is only the beginning. Giving that customer a reason to return can be just as important. Yet while established brands can invest in sophisticated loyalty programs, smaller merchants often have to find practical ways to build lasting customer relationships with more limited resources.

GoBalik, a Filipino-built digital loyalty platform, was founded around a simple belief: local businesses should have access to digital tools that help them encourage repeat visits, regardless of their size or budget.

“Local and small businesses should have access to digital tools like these, not just big brands,” said Ariel Josh Cariño, founder of GoBalik. “We want to make it easier for local businesses to give their customers a reason to come back.”

The platform helps merchants introduce digital loyalty programs through digital stamp cards and points-based rewards. Customers can access their loyalty cards through a mobile browser, without needing to download a separate application.

Accessibility is also reflected in GoBalik's free Starter plan, which allows eligible businesses to begin using digital loyalty tools without a recurring subscription fee. Merchants can start with the features included in the plan and explore additional capabilities as their needs evolve.

Bringing Digital Loyalty Into Local Businesses

For smaller businesses, digital loyalty is not just about replacing paper stamp cards. It can also make rewards easier to manage and give customers a straightforward way to track their progress toward a reward.

Let's Bean Coffee, a family-owned coffee business serving students at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, is one example of a local merchant using GoBalik to support its customer loyalty efforts.

In a video testimonial, the merchant shared that GoBalik helps with customer retention, makes loyalty progress easier to track, and makes it easier for customers to return and claim their rewards.

The experience illustrates how digital loyalty tools can support the everyday relationship between a local business and its customers. Rather than requiring merchants to build their own loyalty systems, GoBalik provides a platform they can use to manage rewards and customer engagement.

Growing Across the Philippines

Since beginning its beta rollout in April 2026, GoBalik has been building a network of registered merchants in different locations across the Philippines.

As of October 16, 2026, the platform's internal dashboard recorded 354 registered merchants, 8,298 customers, and 21,856 visits. These figures provide a snapshot of the platform's reach and activity as it continues developing tools for local businesses.

For Cariño, the goal extends beyond digitizing stamp cards. It is about making customer loyalty technology a practical option for Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that want to build stronger relationships with their customers.

By offering a free entry point and a shared platform for managing rewards, GoBalik aims to give smaller businesses an opportunity to explore digital customer engagement without the cost and complexity of developing their own systems.

The company's guiding motto captures that mission: “We Bring Customers Back.”

About GoBalik

GoBalik is a Filipino-built digital loyalty platform designed to help businesses encourage repeat visits through digital stamp cards, points-based rewards, and merchant management tools. With a mission to make customer loyalty technology more accessible to Filipino MSMEs, GoBalik offers a free Starter plan alongside additional subscription options.

For more information, visit https://gobalik.com/.

About GoBalik Technologies OPC

GoBalik Technologies OPC is a Filipino technology company behind GoBalik, a digital loyalty platform that helps local businesses encourage repeat visits and build lasting customer relationships. Guided by the belief that digital business tools should be accessible to small businesses, GoBalik aims to make customer loyalty technology more accessible to Filipino MSMEs. Its motto is “We Bring Customers Back.”

Company website: https://gobalik.com/

Brand page: https://gobalik.com/brand

On Home Security: Not Every Home Security Plan Is the Same

Home Security Starts With a Risk Assessment, Not a Shopping List, Says Resilience Expert Ace Esmeralda

On The Commanders, Esmeralda explained that families should look at their own vulnerabilities before buying cameras and locks.

“If you don’t do risk assessment, all your remedial measures are baseless,” security and risk management executive Augustus Caesar “Ace” Esmeralda said on the September 24 episode of The Commanders, a public service program on Bilyonaryo News Channel hosted by retired Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo and retired Rear Adm. Armand Balilo.

Esmeralda compares a home risk assessment to a medical checkup. Just as a doctor diagnoses a patient before giving medicine, homeowners should find their property's weak spots before buying security products.

Your location determines your risk.

The assessment looks at both the house and its surroundings. The types of threats depend on whether your home stands alone in an open village, is inside a gated subdivision, or is a condo unit. "The environment determines your risk level," Esmeralda said. Free-standing homes usually face threats from outside, while condo residents may have risks from within the building.

Because of this, he warns against using another community's risk assessment for your own home. "You can't just copy and paste the threat from one subdivision onto your own house," he said. For example, if a house already has dogs that bark at strangers and a bright streetlight outside, the family can spend their budget on CCTV instead of more perimeter security.

The assessment should also cover natural hazards, like slopes that could have landslides, areas that flood quickly, or nearby fault lines. Esmeralda said that a household should protect three things in order: the people, the property, and the family's ability to recover, which he calls resiliency.

Whoever leads the family, single parent or not, should share the findings with everyone at home. "You all have to be on the same page, because then you'll know that 'this is the threat to us'," he said.

Neighbors are part of the plan

Fajardo recalled the defense plans she and Balilo made in the armed forces, and Esmeralda said that homes work the same way. Resilience starts with each family member, then the whole household, and then the neighbors. If neighbors know the family, they will watch the house when it is empty and report any strangers who seem suspicious.

This also applies when a family member waits outside for a tricycle. "Sila ang titingin," he said about the neighbors. Tricycle drivers can also help by watching for suspicious people. Even neighborhood gossip, or the "marites" custom, can be helpful if someone talks about a person hanging around a house.

Fajardo said she tells barangay tanods that people who treat their neighbors badly should not expect help in an emergency. Esmeralda added that since floods and earthquakes affect whole villages, neighbors will need each other.

Technology works only when people use it correctly

A house with cameras everywhere is not secure if no one checks the footage. "It just becomes a recording studio," Esmeralda said. The videos are only useful as evidence after a crime. To prevent crime, cameras should be visible and have a sign saying the property is under surveillance. In properties he managed, Esmeralda required operators to watch the screens.

The sign lets people know their personal data is being recorded, since a face on camera counts as personal information under the Data Privacy Act of 2012. Owners should point cameras away from public areas and neighbors' properties. Esmeralda said that disputes about cameras aimed at a neighbor's bedroom still go to court.

People are always the strongest and weakest part of any system. If a family member shares their PIN with a boyfriend who then tells his friends, the smart lock is no longer secure. Esmeralda compared this to posting your Wi-Fi password in public.

Drill for each scenario, and update the plan

Every situation, like a fire, earthquake, or flood, should have its own drill. Children should know where the fire extinguisher and first aid kit are. Fajardo noted that people often go back into a burning or flooded house to get their things, but Esmeralda said that life should always come before property.

Infants, bedridden relatives, and family members who use wheelchairs cannot leave on their own, so the plan should assign someone to help them during an earthquake or flood. As children grow, drills should change so each child has age-appropriate tasks.

You should reassess risks whenever your surroundings change. Esmeralda said that companies sometimes lose their assembly areas to new buildings, and homes can have similar problems if new buildings go up nearby or if roadwork causes flooding.

Keep contacts current and tested

A family group chat can warn everyone to avoid a flooded street or alert them to problems at home. Each phone should have the numbers for the barangay, police, and fire station saved, and someone should check if these numbers work. "I-try, subukan kung nagri-ring talaga" (Try it, test if it really rings), he said. Numbers from billboards might not be valid, and if a phone has no credit, you need a backup way to call from a landline.

With the southwest monsoon happening now and a possible strong El Niño coming, Esmeralda said that household risks will keep changing. Economic stress can also lead to more crime, even inside homes. He recommends starting with a risk assessment, finding specific threats, and planning how to respond and recover. "For me," he said, "home security is also about family resiliency."

From one household to a whole community

Esmeralda's approach starts with one family, but the same questions apply to subdivisions, condos, and barangays. The i4C.PH 2026 national summit on security, disaster resilience, and cybersecurity will discuss these topics from November 3 to 5 at the SMX Convention Center in Clark, Pampanga.

Homeowners and parents can join on November 4, which focuses on disaster risk and crisis management with simulations and practical exercises. Homeowners' association officers, condo property managers, and barangay officials can bring their teams for all three days, with group rates for three to ten people.

Click here to register for i4C.PH

You can find the full program at the i4C.PH Website. To stay updated about the summit and get practical tips, subscribe to the i4C.PH newsletter 

Augustus Caesar Esmeralda is both the Editor-in-Chief of SecurityMatters and the Founding Chief Convenor of i4C.PH.

About Ace And Assiociates Risk Management, Inc.

Ace and Associates Risk Management, Inc. (AAA) provides asset protection and risk management consultancy services, with an emphasis on the convergence of all aspects of security from conception to implementation. The company describes itself as the only all-Filipino, independent security risk management and consulting firm that is globally certified in the Philippines. Its team combines globally accepted corporate best practices with knowledge of local conditions. AAA is one of the conceptualizers of i4C.PH, together with Resilient.PH and Security Matters. i4C.PH: Resilience Reimagined is a national, multi-sector platform that advances integrated security, crisis resilience and digital trust across the Philippines. It convenes leaders and practitioners from government, defense, public safety, critical infrastructure, industry, technology and academia around the convergence of physical security and safety, cybersecurity, and disaster and crisis management. The program follows the Resilience Programming Framework (RPF) from The Resilient.PH, a systems-based approach that treats resilience as a continuum from foresight and prevention through preparedness, response, recovery and long-term adaptation.