Design Center of the Philippines Executive Director Rhea Matute, esteemed guests and partners from government and private sectors—a pleasant morning to all.
I am glad to join you today as we celebrate and commence the 11th year of Design Week Philippines. For over a decade, Design Week Philippines has stayed true to its commitment to championing Filipinos’ deeply rooted passion for creating and expressing their identity. This event has celebrated design as one of the Philippine creative economy’s significant, rich, and diverse pillars.
With the reintroduction of face-to-face sessions this year, we expect a more vibrant Design Week Philippines in the historic street of Escolta—early 20th century Manila’s premier commercial and business district and, today, a thriving hub for contemporary Filipino design and creativity.
As we navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution and an ever-evolving world, design is being recognized for its potential as an adaptive and impactful solution to realize innovation, to equip domains of the creative industries in responding to the challenges of our times, and ultimately, to create jobs and contribute to our economy.
We see this all over the world. The Danish government, for example, has incorporated design into its political agenda since 1997, promoting the value of design, enhancing interactions between designers and businesses, and integrating design into public sector services.[1] In the Asia-Pacific region, countries like India, China, and South Korea have integrated design into their education curriculum to cultivate aptitude in design thinking among the youth. In Singapore, design is integral in turning the country into a “loveable city.” These nations demonstrate design’s inherent transformative power to make life better for the community.
The Philippine government recognizes the value of design. The Philippine Creative Industries Act is among the milestones in our endeavor to support and accelerate our creative industries, which includes design. Design Week Philippines casts a bright light on the ability of design to enable the government to propel its science, technology, and innovation (STI) as a strategy. Design helps prepare the country for a smarter and more digitally progressive future. It further nurtures growth among businesses such as MSMEs so that they can upgrade, upscale, and contribute to a more robust Philippine economy.
Through the theme, “Design for All,” Design Week Philippines explores the incredible power of design in institutionalizing positive changes that will benefit not just a select few but everyone. Design Week Philippines has segments in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It acknowledges diverse forms of Filipino design and creativity—from indigenous design to design in the streets of the country’s urban centers to the innovation labs emerging in our industrial and academic hotspots.
In this sense, design is and can be for all. Hindi lang isa ang uunlad kundi lahat. This is the vision that Design Week Philippines 2022 carries through its series of talks, workshops, tours, and community experiences for participants.
Congratulations again to the Design Center of the Philippines and all its partners in organizing this event. Maraming Salamat sa inyong lahat and welcome to Design Week 2022.
Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat. Welcome to Design Week Philippines! ♦
Date of Release: 18 October 2022
