Phl Pavilion at Korea expo to feature a sea world of fun
MANILA, Philippines - If you think saving the living ocean and coast isn’t fun, then go to the Yeosu Expo 2012 in Korea and see how it will all come to life inside the Philippine Pavilion.
“Yes! The Philippine Pavilion will make the expo theme ‘The Living Ocean and Coast’ not only vividly colorful, but also full of fun and excitement to make visitors experience the uniqueness of the country’s tourism brand,” said Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., concurrent chairman of the Philippine Organizing Committee (POC) for the 2012 exposition.
The POC is composed of the departments of Tourism, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry, Environment and Natural Resources, and Budget and Management, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
The Philippine exhibits, according to the POC, will go even further by virtually plunging visitors into an enchanting underwater world and the various facets of Filipino culture, society and coastal attractions in a highly interactive and participative mode.
“This deeply engaging brand experience thus becomes an adventure into the vast and diverse realm of Philippine tourism where fun makes a superior value proposition,” Jimenez said.
“At the same time, it (exhibition) aptly depicts the Philippine Pavilion’s own exhibit theme ‘Islands of Diversity and Seas of Connectivity’ to showcase the country’s distinctly archipelagic nature and its people’s fun-loving culture,” Jimenez added.
The drama unfolds as soon as expo visitors enter the Philippine Pavilion, where they will be greeted by a spellbinding ambience of seemingly galactic proportions — from floor to ceiling — only to realize later that they are actually in an underwater world and completely engulfed in video walls with streaming visuals of marine biodiversity and Sensurround audio.
“The multi-sensory experience becomes further enhanced by the mysterious fragrance of Philippine flora, effectively giving visitors a hint of the country’s wealth of natural resources, adventure and eco-tourism activities from ridge to reef,” said DOT Assistant Secretary Domingo Ramon Enerio III, commissioner general of the Expo 2012 POC.
“These features are just a part, or a sneak preview, of the many highlights of the Philippine Pavilion. How all these will come about is the focus of all our ongoing preparations for the expo, which will be held at the southern Korean coastal city of Yeosu from May 12 to Aug. 12. The magnitude of such preparations can be gleaned from the personalities and entities involved,” Enerio added.
They include the team of world-renowned marine biologist and professor emeritus Edgardo Gomez of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute; innovative architect Deo Alam of the eminent U26 design firm, state-of-the-art computer-generated content developer ImColor Inc.; Korean automotive giant Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI); media networks GMA-7 and TV5; flag carriers Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific; retail chain SM Supermalls; Philippine representative of the world’s leading digital multimedia content provider Getty Images, the Get Cre8tive Corp.; the National Underwater Dive Imagers (NUDI); and the diving community for their contributions to the Philippine Pavilion’s aquarium of collective underwater experiences.
“The prize for all their efforts is the spotlight on the country’s public-private partnership in conservation efforts and the huge Korean tourism market, some 7.5 million of which are expected to visit the Yeosu Expo 2012 during its three-month run” Jimenez said.
Since 2006, South Korea has consistently been the country’s top source of foreign tourists, accounting for almost a million visitors or a huge 23.62 percent of last year’s all-time high of 3.92 million.
