MANILA: The Philippines on Wednesday highlighted its capacity to host large events as it soft-opened the International Media Centre (IMC) for foreign and local media covering the upcoming 49th Asean Summit and Related Meetings this week.
The IMC inside the World Trade Centre in Pasay City houses several briefing rooms, podcast and television studios, as well as media broadcast and audio booths, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
The Philippine Pavilion at Hall B features a Filipino beverage and coffee space, alongside a Boracay-inspired health and wellness station offering traditional “hilot” (massage) to delegates.
An Intramuros-inspired Filipino street setup connects the main halls of the World Trade Centre (WTC) to Hall D, which hosts the One Town, One Product (OTOP) exhibit showcasing local products from across the archipelago, the “Gastronomy Kiosks”, and the Philippine Postal Corp (PHLPost) snail mail booths.
The “Pinoy Kalye” is among the many features of the IMC designed to give delegates a taste of everyday Filipino life, allowing them to shop at a “sari-sari store” and enjoy a serving of the classic Filipino street dessert, taho (sweetened silken tofu).
The snail mail and stamp collector booth, on the other hand, allows delegates and members of the media to purchase collectible stamps and send postcards to their home countries.
“The instruction of Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay is for us to showcase the Philippines. What we’re hoping to happen is that our delegates will have a glimpse of the Philippines when they come to the IMC,” Tourism Assistant Secretary Ina Zara-Loyola said in an interview with PNA.
“The intention is for us to allow them to taste the iconic dishes of each of the regions of the country, the provinces,” she added.
Michelin-recognised chefs Francis Lacson of Marikina-based contemporary Filipino restaurant Digamo and Miguel Cabel Moreno of Palm Grill are curating the gastronomy kiosks, which highlight some of the Philippines’ iconic dishes from Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
In an interview, Moreno conveyed hopes that the upcoming international event would show the world that “the Philippines is a place that they should consider to discover and visit.”
Asean National Organising Council Assistant Director-General Hazel Abad said the soft opening of the IMC highlights the Philippines’ capacity to host large international events by delivering quality venues and services.
“This upcoming summit is our culminating event for Asean, and we’re happy to say that we are ready to host everyone,” she told the PNA.
“With the IMC opening, we show that we are not only ready technically or logistically, we are ready for all our media friends, locally and internationally, to experience Philippines hospitality at its best,” she added.
Abad said the IMC will accommodate some 2,000 local and foreign press throughout the ministerial and summit week, taking place from Nov 13 to 17.