President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assured Filipino designers and entrepreneurs on Thursday of continued government support to enhance their global competitiveness as he led the re-opening of the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls in Pasay City.
President Marcos said the newly refreshed Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls, formerly known as PhilTrade Center, provide local designers, artisans, and entrepreneurs with a sanctuary to showcase their finest products, including furniture and lighting, fashion and textiles, home décor and gifts, food products, and other crafts.
“To our designers, artisans, entrepreneurs, exporters, and partners, come, make this space your own,” President Marcos said during the re-opening event that celebrated Filipino craftsmanship.
“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 added.
The new exhibition hall provides a world-class space that showcases the best of Philippine craft and artistry.
The venue features several galleries that serve as a year-round showroom, marketplace, and incubator, celebrating Filipino craftsmanship across various industries.
The original PhilTrade Center was conceived and inaugurated in 1979 under the stewardship of former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the President’s mother, to exhibit Filipino design and craftsmanship.
President Marcos credited First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos for her instrumental role in the rehabilitation and re-opening of the venue.
The President also honored his mother, former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos as “the inspiration, the creator, the implementor, the enforcer who started the entire idea of presenting Philippine crafts and products.”
President Marcos said he expects the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls to serve as a launchpad for local manufacturers and exporters, giving them access to buyers, tourists, and delegations attending Philippine-hosted global events.
At the same time, it will serve as an incubation space that supports product development and packaging services so that businesses can compete in wider markets.
The venue, the President noted, will strengthen and expand export promotion initiatives, enabling greater market access and international exposure for Filipino products, which comes at an opportune time as the country prepares for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chairship this year.
Through Executive Order No. 75, President Marcos empowered the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) to lead the cultivation of Likhang Filipino as a national brand by promoting Philippine products and services to the global market.
Boasting the quality of Philippine-made products following his recent working visit to the United Arab Emirates, President Marcos said Filipinos do not need to explain the quality of their products before an international audience because 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,” the President stressed. | PND