Phl Pavilion in Korea expo attracting 4,000 daily

MANILA, Philippines - More than 4,000 people visit daily the Philippine Pavilion in the ongoing Yeosu Expo in Korea, organizers said yesterday.

Philippine Organizing Committee (POC) Commissioner General Domingo Ramon Enerio III said the visitors include high-ranking government officials from other countries, international travel agents and foreign media.

Enerio said majority of the visitors were senior citizens, followed by students and families with children.

“The most popular attraction is the Philippine mascot ‘Bok,’ with whom the visitors would take photos for souvenir. The most typical comments are about the sweetness of the Philippine mango, the amazing sand of Boracay, and the visitors’ desire to taste the Filipino food,” Enerio added.

He said the “most popular Philippine brochure,” on the other hand, is on ESL or English as Second Language courses.

“The most popular activity inside the Philippine Pavilion is touching the sand, picture-taking at the digital hub, shopping at the ECHOstore, and watching the butan-ding (whale shark) animation,” he said.

The onsite digital hub is where visitors can acquire various information about the Philippines using their smartphones, while the ECHOstore is where they can shop for environmental products and souvenirs.

Other attractions are the interactive marine map through which visitors can identify fish and coral species, the interior pods and the façade’s coral pores that are all made of recycled materials.

According to Enerio, the interactive features of the Philippine Pavilion have been enhanced by the “WeConnect Wall where photos and video messages about the holiday experiences in the Philippines can be posted.”

The country’s tourist destinations remained a principal attraction. The brochures about Boracay, Bohol, Cebu, Palawan and Davao always had to be replenished because of the huge demands from visitors.

The Philippine Pavilion was themed “Islands of Diversity, Seas of Connectivity” consistent with the Yeou Expo’s “Living Ocean and Coast” theme.

Crafted by marine scientist and UP Prof. Edgardo Gomez, the Philippine theme was interpreted and applied in various design statements by Korean-based brand activation firm PICO North Asia and its team of Filipino architects.

The technical and creative application of the Philippines’ theme statement has reportedly impressed the company of international promotional manager Rosy Mosca of the Consorzio Milano Expo 2015 who is also a contributor to online news channel Webit.