Designing for humanity: inside Design Week Philippines’ celebration of collective flourishing

The next portion of the event was a panel discussion around the state of Philippine design, moderated by the founder and clinical director of MAGIS, Gina Alfonso. Joining her onstage were Carl Cervantes, a psychospiritual researcher and author, Misha Quimpo, a project development manager for Ayala Land and Lucky Lopez, the deputy executive director of the Design Center of the Philippines. The conversation flowed smoothly, with each individual contributing their expertise from their unique perspective. 

For Cervantes, Design Week Philippines’ theme of ginhawa is a promising platform for more culturally-intuitive frameworks to spread. “It’s important to reframe our understanding of mental wellness from the clinical term kalusugang pang-kaisipan (mental health),” he said. “It should include gaan (the lightness we feel), gana (the appetite we have for different sources of nourishment), sigla (our energy levels) and ligaya (the contentment we feel for our life situations).” This comprehensive approach makes for a more holistic, embodied experience that traverses both physical and mental states. 

Quimpo expressed her agreement with Cervantes. Through her work with Ayala Land, her goal is to “design spaces that bring the community together and help individuals flourish.” For her, design is more than an aesthetic puzzle to put together; it actively solves problems in society. “While we design tangible spaces, we also think of what is intangible,” she shared. “ In the cities we build, we ensure there are parks. But we also consider what impact these parks will have on the people: how do they impact people’s well-being? Do these parks foster community-building and opportunities for people to feel seen and known? Are these parks safe spaces for them to express themselves?” 

This practical yet compassionate approach resonated deeply with Lucky Lopez, the deputy executive director of the Design Center of the Philippines. “When everything is being designed, I’m always the one who grounds these theories and abstract concepts, ensuring that there is practical meaning to everything that we do,” he says.

He also shared the long-term goals of the Design Center, including strategies to build more circular cities and establish the Philippines as a centre of expertise for tropical research. “Aside from designing beautiful, functional objects, we want to improve our disaster responses, leveraging our resources to build proactive, genuine resilience,” he said. 

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Through the Design Week festivities, the concept of ‘resilience’ is questioned, expanded upon and ultimately redefined. Previous understandings of the term were limited to an individualistic, shaming mentality that kept people from reaching their full potential. But for researchers like Cervantes, resilience means leaning into the uncomfortable moments of being human to find connection with the communities around us. 

“We are organisms, not machines,” he reminded the attendees. “We’re not supposed to be functioning all the time, moving past burnout without thinking of our well-being.” He gave the example of someone being late to school or work. Instead of blaming them or calling them lazy, he encouraged a more birds-eye view of the situation: “Is their transportation system reliable, are the streets they walk down safe?” he asked. “The values of safety, reliability and cleanliness are often minimised in a society that designs more for machines than for people.” 

Nonetheless, he encouraged everyone to take a more intentional approach grounded in one’s experience with nature. “When you look at a garden and appreciate a flower, you’re also seeing the climate and soil that the gardener collaborated with,” he said. “In the same way, when we cultivate the spaces we are in, we can encourage each other to flourish, guided by an appreciation for the hard work it took to make that experience possible.” 

One of the most notable moments of the discussion centred around Ayala’s push for ‘car-free Sundays’ in Makati, closing roads throughout the city for a half-day each week. Quimpo was part of the team that brought the initiative to life. At first, they expressed hesitation over how people would respond. But since the project’s inception in 2023, participants have grown from 10,000 to 23,000. Over ten cities beyond Makati have also created their own version of ‘car-free’ days in their bustling city centres. “We wanted to make the statement that we can lower carbon emissions, while taking the roads back for people to use differently,” she shared. 

In line with this, the panel shared advice for young designers who want to push for more community-centric designs. “You don’t have to start big,” encouraged Lopez. “Focus on your sphere of influence, whether that’s one person, or four, or ten. Even the most advanced cities don’t do these sweeping changes; they implement them slowly and let them unfold over time.” 

Relying on one’s unique community, Cervantes encouraged young designers to reconnect with their heritage. “Go back to where your intuition guides you, whether that’s your family traditions and values, the meals you ate, the activities you did together,” he said. “These will translate into beautiful designs.” 

Quimpo echoed their sentiments, reminding the audience that embracing discomfort was key to cultivating a stronger sense of self. “Don’t be afraid to try something new just because you fear making a mistake,” she said. “Being open to learning new things doesn’t have to be drastic; it’s enough to take small steps in a different direction and build things up from there.” 

Their empowering sentiments echoed the earlier speech of Secretary Roque, who believes that Design Week Philippines is an opportunity to connect designers over generations, backgrounds and spheres of influence. “Let this week be a transformative spark,” she said. “And most critically, design with your heart. When your work is guided by empathy and purpose, it not only looks good: it creates real, lasting impact.” 

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