In Japan, an all-Filipino box of sundries

The world will grow fonder of everything Filipino when the Philippines participates in the World Travel Expo in Osaka, Japan, in April next year.

The proud Filipino showcase of creativity, ingenuity, heritage and talent will be housed in a woven rattan pavilion that beautifully captures the essences of the Philippines, a nod to the rich diversity and interconnectedness of the country as seen in our indigenous weaving traditions.

A World Expo first for the Philippines, the pavilion features an interactive live-performance facade presenting traditional dance and crafts, ones that embody the creative and connected spirit of Filipinos.

The façade is also a tableau of 212 handwoven textiles from the largest group of weavers collaborating on a single master opus.

Every piece reflects the rich history, customs, and artistic traditions of each community, empowering local communities around the nation as they tell each distinct tale.

The structure is expected to be finished by March 2025, in time for the 13 April opening of the World Expo.

The Philippine Pavilion’s central concept is circularity.

The building utilizes locally sourced renewable materials. Once the expo ends, the structure will have a “second life” in an exhibition in the National Museum of the Philippines.

“We are collaborating with our local government units across all of our regions, and engaging the expertise and design talents of the private sector and our communities across the country,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

“We are optimistic that this steadfast support will ensure the execution of a truly excellent Philippine Pavilion, which we project would entice more tourists and investments to the Philippines, create more economic opportunities and propel the continued prosperity of the Filipino people.”

Aside from a showcase of pride, the Philippine participation in the World Expo is also a celebration of the longstanding productive bilateral relations between the Philippines and Japan.

This relationship is strengthened even more by the exchange of inventive energies and rich cultural legacies with the globe, especially Japan, at the expo in Osaka.

Japan has been a reliable ally of the Philippines, with bilateral ties based on nearly 70 years of diplomatic and economic cooperation on a range of fronts, including investment and trade.

As one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines, Japan was the country’s third-largest source of foreign tourists in 2023.

The Philippines also ranks among Japan’s top tourist-source markets.

“A memorandum of cooperation in Tourism, signed last year between Japan and the Philippines, fortified these relations as does our participation in this expo which shall expand our ties in tourism, trade, and investment, even as we look forward to expanding the same ties with the rest of the world as nations and peoples converge in Osaka in 2025,” Frasco said.

The goal of the world expo has endured in 170 years: Educate people about the modern world and work toward a shared future, a spirit the Philippine Pavilion’s theme, “Woven Together for a Better Future,” so beautifully captures.