Philippines to showcase country’s "natural beauty" at Expo 2020 Dubai

The 3,000 square metre Philippine pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will reinterpret the country’s history, going beyond the period of colonisation 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 Rodrigo Duterte officially creating the Expo 2020 Philippine Organising Committee with the Department of Trade and Industry, DTI, having been assigned as lead agency and tourism as vice chair.

This even as Philippine Ambassador to the UAE 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, during which she organised President Duterte’s state visit to the Gulf Region in April 2017.

Quintana especially noted that the Philippines has been given a huge space measuring 3,000 square metres by the Expo 2020 Organising Committee, something that, she said, speaks so much about the UAE’s acknowledgement of the Filipino community, which is estimated at approximately one million.

The Philippines had originally planned for a 900 square metre pavilion, according to DTI Assistant Secretary Rosvi C. Gaetos, who was in Dubai a few weeks back along with 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, adding "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."

The paper quoted Gaetos as saying that Budji Royal came out with a "fantastic concept."

Pineda said the pavilion will be a reinterpretation of Philippine history and go beyond colonisation. "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 Organising Committee’s technical staff to finalise plans. The two said they will be back in May as preparations go full throttle.

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