RP to participate in 2010 World Expo in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, China – The wonders of the Philippines will be on display to at least 70 million potential tourists and investors as the country is scheduled to participate in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo to be held next year.

In an interview with The STAR, the Philippines special envoy to China Carlos Chan said that the Philippine Pavilion will be approximately 2,000 square meters and will be located near the Chinese Pavilion.

Chan, who is also the owner of Liwayway Marketing (International), Ltd., which manufactures of the Oishi line of snack food products and drinks, said that the Philippine government has commissioned the Chinese government to construct the Philippine the pavilion. 

The 2010 Expo is a good way to display the country’s history and cultural essence to the world.

The 2010 Expo is will run from May 1 to Oct. 31 2010 with more than 200 participants. The exhibition area covers 5.28 square kilometers or 20 times bigger than the Zaragoza Expo in 2008. 

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said the Philippine Pavilion will have  the theme of “displaying cities”, highlighting the interaction between the humanistic urban development and the mankind, cities and environment through animation technology.

Earlier,Tourism Secretary Joseph H. Durano said that the theme “displaying cities” will contain two concepts: Arts on one side and achievements or responsibility on the other side. It will show how the Filipinos incorporate urban construction with design, planning, management and sustainability and blend music and performance into the design and planning of the specific cities.

Inside the Pavilion will be a coffee house, a water therapy and amusement center and a special zone for the world’s first-rate products and technologies as well as the forums and seminars.

The DOT together with the national organizing committee of the Philippines which consists of other relevant government bodies, will be in charge of the relevant affairs concerning the participation of the Philippines in Shanghai Expo 2010.

Among the participants of the expo are the United States, Canada, Macau, Nepal, Saudi, Turkey, Brazil and other. There are also corporate sponsors who will have their own pavilions.

A total of $4.8 billion is being invested for the Shanghai Expo. About $2.63 billion was used for construction of the infrastructure and pavilions built by the organizer. In addition to this, $1.55 billion will be spent for operation and management, including site maintenance.