The Philippines’ creative economy is no longer a niche sector—it is fast becoming a major engine of growth. In 2024, creative industries contributed 7.3 percent to the country’s gross domestic product and generated 7.51 million jobs, according to the Philippine Information Agency.
As Filipino creators gain international recognition, the challenge is no longer just producing world-class work, but sustaining global operations—starting with how they get paid.
With overseas demand for Filipino digital talent accelerating, reliable and efficient cross-border payments have become essential.
This is where Payoneer plays a pivotal role, providing tools that allow creative businesses to manage international transactions seamlessly, focus on execution, and confidently pursue opportunities beyond local borders.
One studio riding this wave is Leveret Group, a Filipino-founded company specializing in custom games and interactive digital experiences for brands and organizations. Leveret works in the growing field of gamification, applying game mechanics to learning, training, and customer engagement to make complex or routine processes more intuitive and compelling.
“People like to play, and there’s no rule that says work has to be boring,” said Ria Lu, president and CEO of Leveret Group. “We design systems that motivate people through play, so even training or everyday tasks become enjoyable.”
Founded in 2021 as a small remote team in the Philippines, Leveret has since expanded its client base across the United States, Australia, and Singapore. The studio is now sharpening its focus on the Asia-Pacific region, widely regarded as the largest and fastest-growing market for gaming and gamified experiences.
Growth, Lu explained, is being driven by Southeast Asia’s rapid adoption, East Asia’s creative powerhouses such as Japan, Korea, and China, and highly active markets in Australia and New Zealand.
Scaling across borders, however, brings operational complexity—particularly when it comes to payments and contracts. Monique Avila, senior director of customer success for APAC at Payoneer, emphasized that smooth financial operations are critical to global expansion.
“Creators thrive when they can focus on their craft instead of the logistics of getting paid,” Avila said. “With Payoneer, teams like Leveret can manage global transactions with ease and continue expanding their work across borders.”
From its early days, Leveret has relied on Payoneer to send and receive payments worldwide. Multi-currency accounts have helped the team eliminate the friction of traditional international transfers, allowing them to manage cash flow more efficiently while working with clients in different markets.
Beyond entertainment, Leveret has carved out a niche in developing so-called serious games—interactive experiences designed to address education, health, and social challenges. One notable project involved creating a live-action interactive film for a non-government organization, where the storyline evolves based on user choices, strengthening learners’ critical-thinking skills through active participation.
Looking ahead, Leveret plans to strike a balance between client-driven projects and original game development. Lu said the studio aims to release its own titles in the coming years, viewing proprietary intellectual property as key to long-term sustainability. “When it’s your own product, it continues to create value over time. That’s how we sustain creativity in the long term,” she said.
For Lu, going global is both a strategic necessity and a creative ambition. “If you really want to make it as a creative entrepreneur, you have to expand,” she noted. “Technology and financial platforms like Payoneer make that possible.”
As the Philippines continues to build its reputation as a regional creative hub, companies like Leveret Group demonstrate how Filipino talent can compete—and lead—on the global stage. With the right digital infrastructure and payment solutions in place, the country’s creative innovators are proving that world-class ideas, backed by seamless global tools, can travel far beyond local shores.