CEO Bi Young Chungunco said: “The distinction is very timely because it comes at a time when ... we Filipinos are in great anticipation of better times and hopefully, the decline of the pandemic.” The terminal’s construction was made possible by the collaboration of Casas Architects and the international design firm Populous for its interiors, after being handed over by MegawideGMR Construction Joint Venture which built the exterior shell structurally designed by Budji+Royal Architecture+Design (BCDA). The terminal’s world-class architecture is another collaboration between BCDA and award-winning Hong Kong-based architect William Shu of Integrated Design Associates, who served as principal architect of the project.

This four-level terminal has an area of 110,000 square metres and has the capacity to accommodate eight million passengers annually. Its design was inspired by the natural formations and surrounding landscapes of Pampanga with uniquely Filipino materials. “We hope that through this new terminal building we can help uplift the mood of our countrymen, and soon when travel is relaxed, Clark International Airport will be there to delight passengers and [serve] as a fitting testament to Philippine capacities,” Chungunco added.

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This year we have seen the completion of the restoration of Manila’s art deco jewel, the Metropolitan Theater (MET). Designed by Architect Juan M Arellano, the MET was inaugurated in 1931 and had been the centre of the country’s performing and visual arts scene for some time. Amid the city-wide lockdowns brought upon by the ongoing  andemic, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts was able to secure the said structure as a venue for filming some productions that were made available online through its Facebook page.

“We are happy because after many years of unfortunate events that greatly damaged the theatre... it has stood strong against all these adversities. These tell us that MET is not just about arts, culture and beauty. Rather, it is also about resiliency, strength and hope,” says NCCA Chairperson Arsenio Lizaso. “MET is just like us Filipinos—resilient, strong and hopeful even in the face of many challenges our country is facing. The restoration of the MET brings us hope that someday, like her, we will rise and be beautiful again as a nation.

The most anticipated offering at the MET this year is its inaugural full length musical production Lapu-lapu: Ang Datu ng Mactan, in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Victory of Mactan. Playdates of the said production are still to be announced. “We hope that after this pandemic, the MET will become a centre to preserve another cultural heritage—our traditional Filipino theatre and art forms such as komedyas, sarswelas, epikos, and bodabils as well as our other intangible cultural heritage such as traditional folk dances and indigenous music.”

Architects Sudarshan V Khadka Jr and Alexander Eriksson Furunes brought home the country’s first ever win at the Venice Biennale 2021 with their Structures of Mutual Support exhibition at the Philippine Pavilion. Exploring the essence of the spirit of bayanihan and the Norwegian dugnad, the project was given a Special Mention for its “exemplary  community project that creates a rich archive and experience of collaborative construction practices”.

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The project is intended to be a library for the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan and would be there permanently after the biennale. 32 representatives of the foundation joined Khadka and Furunes in mounting the exhibition. During the awards ceremony in Venice, co-curator Furunes thanked the organisation behind Venice Biennale for “recognising that bayanihan and dugnad can be real alternatives to how we can live together.

The way we build is really the way we live. Loren Legarda, Antique’s lone district representative who during her tenure as senator led the revival of the Philippine participation in the prestigious Venice Biennale, sent her regards to the curators: “What is important is that we can tell the world that existing practices of our nation,such as bayanihan and our strong sense of community, can be solutions to the world’s most pressing issues. We eagerly wait for the exhibition to return to the Philippines, back to the GK Enchanted Farm community, where it will no longer be a piece for the exhibition but a built object, its use defined by the community and enjoyed by its members.” 

Read also: The Philippines Bags Its First Biennale Architettura Award With 'Structures of Mutual Support'

At the ongoing 2020 Dubai Expo, the Philippines Pavilion proudly stands as Filipino, both in essence and in spirit. Conceptualised by the architect Royal Pineda and designed by Budji+Royal Architecture+Design, the pavilion interprets the Philippine coral reef in a modern fashion.

At 18.5 metres high from the ground, it is the second tallest pavilion in the 600-hectare expo and holds works by nine Philippine visual artists, pieces by four performing artists, animations  and audio-visuals, a store of exclusive local crafts and a coffee shop of Filipino foods. The entire built space totals 2,500 square metres steeped in Modern Philippine culture.

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