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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The 3,000-sq. meter Philippine pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will reinterpret the country’s history, going beyond the period of colonization and showcasing its natural beauty and people, officials privy to ongoing preparations for the country’s participation at the international event told The Filipino Times.
It’s all systems go at full throttle for the Philippines following the recent signing of Adminstrative Order 17 by President Duterte officially creating the Expo 2020 Philippine Organizing Committee with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) having been assigned as lead agency and Tourism as vice chair.
This, even as Ambassador Hjayceelyn Quintana appears upbeat about the country’s participation in the much-awaited international event, which she has been working on even back during her days as Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs (OMEAA). It was also during that stint that she organized President Duterte’s state visit to the Gulf Region in April 2017.
Quintana noted that the Philippines has been given a huge space measuring 3,000 square meters by the Expo 2020 organizing committee – something that, she said, speaks so much about the UAE’s acknowledgement of the Filipino community, which is estimated at approximately one million.
“Why would they give us a big space? Because there are many Filipinos in the UAE,” she said.
To give an idea how big 3,000 square meters is, a football field, according to the American National Football League, measures some 5,351 sq. meters. That brings the Philippine pavilion to roughly more than half the size of a football field.
The Philippines originally planned for a 900 square meter pavilion, according to DTI Asst. Secretary Rosvi C. Gaetos, who was in Dubai a few weeks back along with Arch. Royal Pineda, principal architect and CEO at BUDJI ROYAL Architecture Design, which was tasked to design the pavilion.
Gaetos said the Philippines will make a “big splash” at Expo 2020.
“We have many things to do and many things to prepare. The deadlines are coming up fast. We are happy for this. The Philippines will really make a big splash in the World Expo 2020 when it opens,” she said.
Gaetos said BUDJI ROYAL came out with a “fantastic concept.”
Pineda said the pavilion will be a reinterpretation of Philippine history and go beyond colonization.
“It will be inspired by Philippine nature and redefine the history of the Philippines,” Pineda told The Filipino Times.
Gaetos and Pineda were recently in Dubai to meet with the Expo 2020 Organizing Committee’s technical staff to finalize plans. The two said they will be back in May as preparations go full throttle.
Since partnering with Budji Layug, Pineda has designed different projects in Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, United States of America, France, Germany and Thailand.
The Philippine organizing committee has yet to divulge full details of the pavilion. Some 25 countries have already made announcements about theirs. Among them were Switzerland, United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Luxembourg and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the Dubai Expo 2020 said that the price for a single day entry will be priced at Dh120, while a three-day pass, which can be used over any three days of the 173-day event, will be priced at Dh260.
Children under the age of five and senior citizens above 65 will be given free entry to the event. Young people between the ages of six and 17, as well as students of any age, will be given a 50% discount in tickets.
People of determination will also be granted complimentary access. Their carers can gain access to the event for half the price.
A ticket will give access to 60 live shows each day, as well as technology on display and performances by artists, daily parades, special celebrations and over 200 F&B outlets. – Rappler.com
Editor’s Note: This piece has been republished with the permission of The Filipino Times
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