By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday vowed continued government support to Filipino manufacturers and exporters to help them showcase the best of Philippine craftsmanship on the global stage.
During the reopening of the “Likhang Filipino” Exhibition Halls in Pasay City, the President described the refurbished halls as a “launchpad” for local designers, artisans, and entrepreneurs to widen their markets and connect them with buyers, tourists, and visiting foreign delegations.
The “world-class space,” he said, brings together the finest Filipino products, including furniture and lighting, fashion and textiles, home décor, gifts, as well as food.
“Filipinos do not need to explain the quality of our products before an international audience. Once people see, touch, taste, the craftsmanship speaks for itself,
There is nothing but immense pride that comes from recognizing our own, from seeing materials shaped by Filipino hands, ideas rooted in Filipino culture, and designs that feel both familiar and exceptional,” Marcos Jr. said.
The Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls were formerly called the PhilTrade Center, launched by the former First Lady Imelda Marcos in 1979.
Under the Marcos Jr. administration, First Lady Liza Marcos along with the Department of Trade and Industry and its export promotion arm, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), revived the initiative as a year-round showroom, marketplace, and incubator for the best in Philippine craftsmanship.
Located at the International Trade Center Complex (formerly PhilTrade) along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City, the exhibition halls are open for free to the public starting Jan. 20, from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Through Executive Order No. 75 issued in 2024, the CITEM was empowered to lead the cultivation and promotion of Likhang Filipino as a national brand and strengthen international exposure for Filipino products and services.
The Likhang Filipino also comes at an opportune time as the Philippines gears for its chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2026, wherein foreign leaders and their delegations are expected to visit the Philippines for summits and other events.
“With the support of Likhang Filipino, we can confidently say that our local products are ready for the region and for the world,
To our designers, artisans, entrepreneurs, exporters, and partners, come, make this space your own. I can assure you that this government will support you in your endeavors as you show the world the meaning of Filipino ingenuity through our products,” the President said.
-jpv
