#CulturePH - SPARK! partners with Sony Music Entertainment Philippines to empower young women and girls

It is with great pleasure that SPARK! announces new financing from Sony Music Entertainment Philippines to promote gender aware and responsive initiatives, champion the rights of young women, and provide access to free, high-quality education.

Photo from left to right: Prerna Suri, VP, Communications, Asia & Middle East, SME; Hans Kevin Madanguit, Senior Program Manager, SPARK! Philippines; Shridhar Subramaniam, President, Corporate Strategy & Market Development, Asia & Middle East, SME; Maica Teves, Executive Director, SPARK! Philippines; Roslyn Pineda, GM, Philippines, SME; and Andrew Smith, EVP & CFO, Asia & Middle East, SME

As a new recipient, SPARK! Philippines will create a project that makes use of the storytelling potential of video and music to highlight the inspiring stories of the young women they assist. In order to create original short biopics or documentaries with powerful musical scores and theme songs, the chosen females will work with a critically recognized female filmmaker and Sony Music Philippines artists.A separate series of short videos will also be made to showcase how Sony Music Philippines artists engage with the young women through their workshops and songwriting and recording sessions.

“In addition to elevating young women and raising awareness for the issues they face, we want to inspire them to be more creative, to dream deeply, and to aspire for more,” said Maica Teves, Executive Director at SPARK! Philippines. “Young women need help with strengthening and amplifying their advocacy efforts, and support from the Sony Music Philippines’s musicians and filmmakers will help them achieve that in a creative way. Through our collaboration with Sony Music’s Global Social Justice Fund, we aim to give our young women a positive platform to showcase their collaboration and develop meaningful stories that shed much-needed light on the pressing issues they face. We want to embed a belief in equal rights and the importance of education at a young age and will work hand-in-hand with Sony Music Entertainment Philippines to realize these goals.”      

“We are happy to partner with SPARK! who are impacting the lives of young women across the Philippines,” said Roslyn Pineda, General Manager, Philippines, Sony Music Entertainment. “As a global music company, Sony Music Entertainment is dedicated to empowering and elevating all members of societies where we have a presence. We are committed to bridging gaps in society and look forward to working with SPARK! to unlock the creative potential of young women in the Philippines.”

SPARK! Philippines, an NGO founded in 2012, is made up of empowered women dedicated to the advancement of women and women's groups as equal partners in societal progress. By supporting men in allyship and activism by joining a group, the funding from Sony Music Philippines will help to strengthen collaboration and forge alliances with individuals and organizations working in a variety of fields and sectors to advance the rights and welfare agenda for young women. It will also encourage young women to be change agents from an early age by actively taking part in community projects and social development programs, claiming their right to participate in policy discussion spaces, and supporting men in allyship and activism by joining a group

The latest beneficiary of the Global Social Justice Fund from Sony Music Group in Asia is SPARK! Philippines. The Fund, which was established in 2020, provides global assistance for social justice and anti-racism programs. After two years, 71% of the $100 million USD fund has been donated to more than 400 community organizations globally, encompassing issues like education, environmental justice, criminal justice reform, and civic engagement.