MANILA, Philippines - “Ours may not be the biggest pavilion (at the Yeosu Expo in Korea), but I assure you, it will be the most fun!”
Thus said Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. in formally announcing the Philippine participation in the Yeosu Expo 2012, which opened yesterday and runs up to Aug. 12.
Jimenez made the announcement in a recent media launch that showed what seemed to be the biggest public-private partnership involving various government agencies, industry players, and the professional and community sectors.
“Tourism is about energy on the ground… and more fun is about people as well as the place,” Jimenez said in hinting at what to expect from the Philippine exhibits.
“The expo theme Living Ocean and Coast is almost tailor-made for the Philippines, the most dramatic example how the environment and the people team up together, driving the spirit of an archipelago surrounded by wonders,” Jimenez said, citing as examples the Puerto Princesa Underground River as among the wonders of the world and the Boracay beach as among the best.
The expo is seen to provide Philippine tourism with vast promotional exposure and further reinforce Korea’s consistent role as the archipelago’s leading source of foreign tourists.
Korean Ambassador Hye Min Lee said the Philippine participation in the expo “reaffirms the strong bond bet-ween our countries … and strengthens our people-to-people relations.”
Aside from the Department of Tourism (DOT), the government agencies involved are the departments of Foreign Affairs, Environment and Natural Resources, Trade and Industry, and Budget and Management, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Supporting them are TV networks GMA7 and TV5, Korean firm Hyundai Asia Resources Inc., retail giant SM Super Malls, national flag carriers Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, the Network of Underwater Digital Imagers, Biemann Produktion Haus, the World Wildlife Fund, and various local government units, among others.
Philippine Organizing Committee (POC) Commissioner General and DOT Assistant Secretary Domingo Ramon Enerio III hailed marine scientist and UP professor Edgardo Gomez for crafting the country’s theme Islands of Diversity, Seas of Connectivity, indicating the role of the oceans in linking together the archipelago’s 7,107 islands instead of separating them.
The country’s theme, according to Enerio, is interpreted and applied in various design statements by Korean-based brand activation firm PICO North Asia and its Filipino architectural team to create a multisensory experience for the visitors at the Philippine Pavilion.
Enerio said the 227-square-meter Philippine pavilion employs sensurround audio-visual presentations with computer-graphic imagery involving footages of daily life, culture and superior coastal wonders to comprise the eight-minute visual feast of the country’s main exhibit.
Supplementing the exhibit are a collection of sand from the country’s popular beaches, a mascot named Bok to personify the country’s famous giant clam, the onsite Digital Hub for various information that can be acquired directly through smartphones, an interactive marine map through which the visitors can identify fish and coral species, the interior pods and the façade’s coral pores that are all made of recycled materials, the WeConnect Wall where photos and video messages about holiday experiences in the Philippines can be posted, the ECHOstore for upmarket environmental products and souvenirs, and the staff uniforms of vibrant local color and tribal patterns designed by famous couturier Nono Palmos.
Further supporting this Philippine campaign are the Korean Underwater Divers Association (KUDA) and the Pinoy Iskolars sa Korea (PIKO).
For other details about the expo, contact the POC at +632 525-7320 or +632 525-9318 locals 243, 258 and 269; fax at +632 525-6165; e-mail at philpavilion2012@yahoo.com or visit www.7107.co.kr/philexpo2012.