The old Philtrade Center along Roxas Boulevard was closed throughout the pandemic, then at some point it became a POGO hub.

After the POGOs left, some of the buildings were left in a deplorable state, First Lady Liza Marcos found. Cleaning up the mess was easy, and in a matter of months, the place was rehabilitated and reborn.

Likhang Filipino is a fresh lease on life for the country’s creative industries and manufacturers.

Now veritably a one-stop shop for them, the six galleries will showcase all Filipino-made products from various industries, from food and beverage to fashion and accessories, to furniture and decor.

An experiential hub, it will also be a venue for like-minded creatives to collaborate and learn from one another, an open-to-all space that would give Filipinos a big important boost of pride.

Difficult as it is these days to hold our heads high following the unmitigated corruption uncovered last year, we must have places like this to remind us of the innate goodness and brilliance of our people.

The creative industries are a light that shines when politics grows dim. They can carry us through, but perhaps only when we sincerely love the beauty of our own culture.

Likhang Filipino — dubbed “creativity’s new address” — is “about creating that culture,” the people behind its rebirth stressed yesterday, when it was formally launched with FL Liza as guest of honor. 

The idea of “identity building” is not farfetched as the whole enterprise involves various government agencies under the purview of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), working together to “define the Filipino identity” in various ways.

Tourism, culture, the arts, food and design — Likhang Filipino’s mandate is to synchronize all that into a whole picture of the Filipino sense of self.

“We should be seen as one whole creative collective,” said DTI Assistant Secretary Al Valenciano.

Now that all these export-quality goods will be exhibited year-round at the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls in Pasay City, locals will be able to experience them for themselves — and maybe learn to appreciate their culture enough to support and nurture it.

The 10-year CITEM Strategic Roadmap, sources said, is designed to harmonize with the broader national development policies, plans and programs.

CITEM established the permanent Likhang Filipino showrooms as a key initiative of its Strategic Roadmap, in line with the mandates of EO 75 aimed at strengthening CITEM’s role as the preeminent export promotion authority under the DTI by synchronizing and solidifying the government’s trade promotion efforts.

The best promoters are our own citizens, says CITEM, which is determined to push efforts to continuously develop new designers. The core inspiration? “Think of who you are — as a country, as a Filipino.”