The Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines (DMAP) kicked off this year’s iteration of the Digital Young Creators (DYC) Bootcamp and Competition, with the theme “Sari-Sari” in September, and is set to announce competition winners this October.
The first part of Sari-Sari DYC 2025 is a bootcamp with keynotes, mentoring sessions, breakout workshops, and exposure to industry best practices. The second part is a couple of competitions where participants pitch creative digital campaigns, giving them the chance to win trips to international events.
The Young Lotus competition is geared towards creatives 30 and below, and winners get to represent the Philippines in Adfest 2026 in Pattaya, Thailand. For creatives 31 to 40 years old, the Young Innova competition gives them the chance to fly to Austin, Texas and represent DMAP at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2026.
“Sari-Sari DYC 2025 celebrates all kinds of young talents,” said DYC Co-Chairs Raymund Sison of Lennon Group and Cams Sta. Ana of Meta Philippines as they opened the bootcamp on September 19 and welcomed everybody. “It celebrates creation in all its forms — a melting pot of diverse ideas, innovations, culture, and all kinds of digital makers. A launchpad for digital young talents!”
They also introduced the competition’s Sari-Sari Trophy: a glass jar packed with an assortment of smaller, 3D-printed replicas of iconic trophies, such as those of the Oscars, Cannes, and the Clio Awards, to name a few.
PassionFruit Creative Chief Creative Officer Nikki Golez, who is also one of DYC’s coaching directors, told Rolling Stone Philippines that the program went through a name change two years ago, with DMAP changing “creatives” to “creators” to accommodate other participants dabbling in diverse kinds of creative work in the digital space. The participants this year were a mix of influencers, independent creatives, and creatives from different companies.
“When people think of creatives, they might think of advertising creatives or production creatives. But there are so many different ways to create on digital,” Golez said. “So, for learning and coaching, what we’re trying to do with DYC is to give people more opportunities to see that if you’re in digital, your world is not small.”
On September 27, DMAP announced the finalists for the digital marketing competition. Making the shortlists were 12 teams for the Young Lotus competition and 11 teams for the Young Innova competition, all participants representing firms and agencies like MullenLowe, BBDO Guerrero, Dentsu Creative Philippines, Propel Manila, and more. Live presentations and final deliberations will be held at the Ayala Museum on October 9.
A Bootcamp with Digital Leaders
The bootcamp started with engaging talks by the media and creative industries’ biggest talents. This was followed by coaching sessions in the afternoon and an afterparty where everyone got to network over drinks and music.
First up in the morning’s talks was illustrator Raxenne Maniquiz, who shared her experience collaborating with Jordan Manila and Austrian graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister. Vogue Philippines Art Director Jann Pascua then delivered a keynote speech about working with purpose and engaging with audiences on multiple platforms.
“At the end of the day, it’s a matter of maximizing the platforms that are available to you as you expand your narratives through different avenues and executions,” said Pascua. “By understanding the strengths and purpose of every platform, you get to expand your reach.”
In “Lumpia Queen” Abi Marquez’s presentation, the content creator talked about tailoring content to different platforms and managing the workload. Meanwhile, artist and content creator Raco Ruiz talked about getting over the fear and cringe of creating. In a keynote punctuated with laughter, Sunshine director Antoinette Jadaone and Lunchbox PH founder Carl Chavez talked about their digital strategy for marketing a socially charged film.
“‘Yong Sunshine, very digital talaga in nature. Hindi siya akma sa traditional na marketing,” said Jadaone. She quipped, “Kasi ano, si Sunshine ipapag-mall show namin sa SM Baliwag, pero ang pino-promote niya ay a film on teenage pregnancy?”
To end the morning, Jayme Headquarters founder Merlee Jayme talked about the power of digital spaces to transform ideas.
“With all of these talks and with the two competitions that we’re having, we’re trying to get people to explore that digital creativity in whatever form,” said Golez. “I think that [Jayme’s] talk was a great way to end the morning, because she was talking about how an idea gives the brand its soul. Digital gives creativity its wings. And that’s just what we’re trying to encourage here.”
DMAP Sari-Sari DYC 2025 is co-presented by Ayala Foundation, Meta, and Maya. This event is also in partnership with Investing in Women, Ad Standards Council, AdFest, and The One Show.
