The Philippines officially opens its pavilion today, April 13, at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan — proudly carrying the theme “Nature, Culture, and Community: Woven Together for a Better Future.”
Named simply “Woven,” the Philippine Pavilion offers a multisensory experience that blends indigenous heritage with modern innovation. The pavilion features over 200 intricately handcrafted woven panels — the largest collaboration of Filipino weavers to date — each representing diverse traditions from across the archipelago. Through these pieces, visitors are invited to experience the soul of the Filipino: deeply rooted in tradition, yet forward-looking and globally connected.
The concept reinforces the idea that the future is not only shaped by technology and progress but also by the enduring wisdom of our cultural heritage and the collective strength of our communities.
This year’s pavilion follows the success of the Bangkóta at Expo 2020 Dubai, which was hailed as the largest Philippine pavilion ever built for a World Expo. Located in the Sustainability District, Bangkóta — an ancient Tagalog word for coral reef — was designed by Budji+Royal Architecture+Design and curated by Marian Pastor Roces. It stood as a tribute to the Filipino people’s long history and connection to the sea, telling a story that spanned over 4,000 years of cultural evolution through immersive installations and digital storytelling.
Beyond its visually arresting coral-inspired architecture, Bangkóta also celebrated Filipino craftsmanship, cuisine, and creativity through retail spaces and the Mangrove Café, which served authentic regional dishes.
Now in Osaka, Woven picks up the thread where Bangkóta left off — once again inviting the world to witness how Filipino identity is artfully and meaningfully interlaced with nature, culture, and community.
