ABU DHABI—The Philippine pavilion at the World Expo in Dubai was inaugurated by Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hjayceelyn M. Quintana.
She opened the structure on October 1—the start of the world’s fair—which runs until the end of March 2022. The Philippines is among 192 participating countries with self-built pavilions at the World Expo, considered the most digitally-advanced in history.
The country’s pavilion sits on a 3,163-square-meter lot. It is located in the sustainability district of the expo site, which covers an area as big as 600 football fields as a whole. The pavilion is named “Bangkóta”—the ancient Tagalog word for coral reef, which is also the design inspiration for the structure. The theme evokes the idea that “the Filipino, like a coral reef, grows into colonies [and] spreads out all over the world connected by migration, travel, and technology.”
World expos are some of the oldest running and largest international events that take place every five years and showcase the achievements of nations. Through the Bangkóta, the Philippines highlights its creative industries such as architecture, landscape architecture, content curation, multimedia arts, music, dance, film, fashion, animation, game development, artisanal objects, food, photography, and performing arts.
Trade Assistant Secretary Rosario Virginia Gaetos, who is the alternate commissioner general for the Philippine Expo’s participation; Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes; and Architect Royal Pineda, who is the Bangkóta Pavilion’s overall artistic and thematic director, joined the ambassador at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. A crowd of about 500 Filipino residents in the UAE attended the opening event. The Filipino Social Club choir provided musical entertainment.
As she spoke before the Filipino community, Quintana said, “Today, as we opened the doors of the Bangkóta Pavilion, we have six months to show the world that the time has come for a new way of thinking about who we are as a people. We will see [within] the thought-provoking halls of the Bangkóta the depth, authenticity, and inherent freedom to create in every Filipino.”
She added: “Indeed, if we want to understand the concepts represented in the curves and lines of the Bangkóta, we have to change old mindsets in looking at ourselves and in the way that we represent ourselves. The Bangkóta finds its place in the World Expo [to teach us new ideas and create] new images that will help us face the future with confidence.”
Quintana commended the UAE’s visionary leadership as host country for its determination and serious efforts in ensuring that the expo is safe, as the world gathers anew for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and at the time of a pandemic.
The first in the Arab region where 2 million Filipinos reside and work, the World Expo 2020 Dubai provides a platform for the Philippines to project a strong presence in the global stage. The country has participated in previous expos, particularly the ones in Seattle, New York, Osaka, Brisbane, Vancouver, Seville, Hannover, and Shanghai.