Philippines Secures ₱350M in Tourism Deals at Japan's Biggest Travel Expo

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

A four-day showcase in Aichi proves Japanese travelers are eager to discover Philippine shores—and they're bringing their wallets

AICHI, JAPAN — In a sprawling exhibition hall at the Aichi Sky Expo, the Philippines didn't just participate in Tourism Expo Japan 2025—it commanded attention. And the numbers tell a story of triumph: a staggering ₱349.9 million in sales leads, proof that the Land of the Rising Sun is setting its sights firmly on Philippine shores.

From September 25 to 28, the Philippine delegation transformed their booth into a portal to paradise, drawing from a crowd of over 127,000 trade professionals and travelers who descended upon Japan's largest travel marketplace. What unfolded was more than a tourism pitch—it was a cultural experience that left Japanese visitors captivated and reaching for their booking calendars.

Beyond Brochures: Creating an Experience

The Philippine booth didn't rely on glossy pamphlets and forced smiles. Instead, delegates orchestrated an immersive journey through the archipelago's most magnetic destinations. Intramuros's cobblestoned history met Boracay's powdery beaches. The otherworldly Chocolate Hills of Bohol stood alongside the vibrant marine sanctuaries of Moalboal—each destination carefully curated to resonate with Japanese travelers' well-documented passion for both historical exploration and natural beauty.

But the masterstroke came in the form of human connection. Japanese content creators Bonnie the Star and Miyuu took center stage at the Philippine Travel Talk Show, sharing authentic stories of Filipino cuisine and their adventures across the islands. Their enthusiasm was infectious, translating complex cultural nuances into relatable experiences for an audience eager to understand what makes the Philippines special.

Throughout the four-day event, the LUMAD group delivered regular performances that transformed the booth into a living gallery of indigenous culture. Visitors didn't just see the Philippines—they heard its rhythms, felt its energy, and glimpsed the soul of local communities.

The Art of the Deal

The first two days of TEJ 2025 belonged to business. Representatives from Philippine airlines, hotels, resorts, tour operators, and government agencies engaged in intensive business-to-business meetings, forging partnerships that would eventually translate into flight routes, package tours, and strategic collaborations. These weren't casual conversations over coffee—they were high-stakes negotiations that laid the groundwork for the impressive sales figures.

When the doors opened to consumers on September 27 and 28, the strategy shifted from boardroom tactics to winning hearts. The delegation sweetened the deal with raffle prizes featuring accommodations, tours, and flights to premier Philippine destinations, giving potential visitors a tantalizing taste of what awaited them.

A Market Hungry for More

"The successful results from this year's TEJ serve as solid proof of the Japanese market's strong interest in visiting our country," declared Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles, Chief Operating Officer of the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines. Her words carried the weight of victory, but also recognition of strategic positioning.

The Japanese tourism market represents a goldmine for the Philippines—travelers known for their respect, spending power, and genuine interest in cultural authenticity. The ₱350 million in sales leads reflects not just momentary enthusiasm but sustained interest in a destination that offers something increasingly rare in an age of homogenized travel experiences: genuine, unfiltered cultural immersion.

Standing Tall Among Giants

TEJ 2025 wasn't a small gathering. Organized by the Japan Travel and Tourism Association, the Japan Association of Travel Agents, and the Japan National Tourism Organization, the expo drew exhibitors from more than 82 countries and regions, all vying for attention in Japan's competitive travel market.

The Philippines held its ground, and then some. While tourism powerhouses showcased their credentials, the Philippine delegation leveraged something more valuable than infrastructure or marketing budgets—the authentic warmth that defines Filipino hospitality, what locals call "malasakit."

More Than Numbers

The ₱349.9 million figure represents more than potential revenue. It's a vindication of a tourism strategy that prioritizes meaningful partnerships over transactional relationships, cultural authenticity over manufactured experiences, and long-term engagement over quick wins.

Led by the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines in partnership with the Department of Tourism, the delegation demonstrated that effective tourism promotion in 2025 requires more than destination marketing—it demands storytelling, cultural exchange, and the courage to showcase not just picture-perfect beaches but the communities and traditions that make those destinations worth visiting.

As the Aichi Sky Expo closed its doors on September 28, the Philippine delegation packed more than promotional materials—they carried home concrete proof that the world, and particularly Japan, is ready to fall in love with the Philippines all over again. And this time, they're booking tickets to prove it.

The Tourism Promotions Board Philippines continues to position the country as a world-class tourism and MICE destination through strategic partnerships and authentic cultural engagement. For more information, visit www.tpb.gov.ph.

From Iloilo's Rocky Alleys to Osaka's World Stage: How Two Humble Dishes Are Redefining Philippine Identity

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

A dumpling soup and a sweet coconut stew carry the weight of a nation's story at World Expo 2025 Osaka

In a small compound at the end of a rocky alley in Iloilo, women's hands move with practiced precision, folding hundreds of dumplings—each one a tiny envelope of tradition, each pleat a meditation on heritage. Years later, that memory would travel thousands of miles to become part of something extraordinary: the Philippine narrative at one of the world's most prestigious cultural showcases.

At World Expo 2025 Osaka, where 160 countries compete for attention and admiration, the Philippines has chosen an unexpected weapon in its cultural arsenal. Not the spectacle of towering sculptures or cutting-edge technology alone, but something far more intimate and infinitely more powerful: the humble, honest flavors of home.

The Alchemy of Memory and Meaning

Chef Angelo Comsti stands at an intersection of past and present, tasked with an impossible mission: distill the Filipino experience into dishes that can speak across language barriers, cultural divides, and the sterile efficiency of an expo food hall. His answer? Pancit molo and binignit—two dishes that most international visitors have never heard of, let alone tasted.

"Pancit Molo is more than just a dumpling soup," Comsti explains, his voice carrying the weight of that long-ago journey down that rocky Iloilo alley. The scene he describes is cinematic in its simplicity: women gathered in community, their hands telling stories through repetitive motion, the steam rising from a kaldero carrying the fragrance of spring onions and belonging. "When we finally ordered a kaldero-ful of pancit, it came steaming, fragrant with spring onions, and brimming with comfort. That memory stayed with me, and I wanted Expo visitors to experience it too."

This isn't fusion cuisine or culinary experimentation. This is memory made edible, tradition transformed into nourishment. Each spoonful of that delicate broth carries within it the essence of Visayan hospitality, the warmth of communal cooking, the patience of hands that fold dumplings not for efficiency but for love.

The Dish That Refuses to Be Pinned Down

If pancit molo represents community and precision, binignit embodies something equally Filipino: radical adaptability wrapped in sweetness. This Visayan dessert—a luxurious stew of tubers, tropical fruits, and glutinous rice swimming in coconut milk—defies standardization in the most beautiful way possible.

"No two versions are exactly the same," Comsti reveals, and in that variability lies a profound truth about Filipino culture itself. "Some families add tapioca, others drop in bilo-bilo—chewy rice balls like mochi. It's a dish shaped by availability, preference, and tradition. For me, that adaptability mirrors the Filipino spirit: resourceful, communal, and always generous."

Binignit is pragmatism elevated to art. Born from whatever the season provides—sweet potatoes when they're abundant, jackfruit when it's ripe, saba bananas because they're always there—it transforms scarcity into celebration. The coconut milk doesn't just bind ingredients; it baptizes them into something transcendent, something that tastes like comfort and feels like belonging.

Beyond the Plate: A Nation's Strategic Gambit

But this collaboration between Hain by Via Mare, the Philippine Pavilion's official concessionaire, and Chef Comsti represents more than culinary nostalgia. It's a calculated move in the sophisticated game of nation branding, orchestrated by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines.

"Food allows us to tell our story in the most relatable way," declares Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles, TPB Chief Operating Officer and Secretary General of the Philippine Organizing Committee for Expo 2025. Her words reveal a deep understanding of soft power in the 21st century. "Through collaborations like this, we bring not only flavors but also the traditions and human connections behind them. It's a taste of the Philippines that lingers far beyond the table."

This is gastronomy as diplomacy. While other nations might showcase their technological prowess or industrial achievements, the Philippines leans into something more fundamental: the universal human need for comfort, connection, and good food. It's a bold strategy that positions the archipelago not as a competitor in the race for modernization, but as a keeper of something increasingly rare—authentic cultural memory.

The Pavilion as Canvas

These dishes don't exist in isolation. They're served within "Woven," the Philippine Pavilion itself—a structure that has become one of Expo 2025's top attractions. Its façade features 212 indigenous textiles, each pattern telling stories of mountains, seas, and the communities that have inhabited them for generations. Inside, 18 region-inspired handwoven artworks create a gallery of textile traditions, while interactive AI installations like "Dancing with Nature" bridge ancestral wisdom and contemporary innovation.

The pavilion's theme—"Nature, Culture & Community: Woven Together for a Better Future"—finds its most literal expression in these two dishes. The pancit molo represents culture preserved through careful technique. The binignit embodies nature's bounty and community's adaptability. Together, they weave a narrative thread that connects Iloilo's alleys to Osaka's futuristic expo grounds.

The Larger Canvas: Gastronomy as National Identity

The TPB's strategy extends far beyond a single event. By positioning gastronomy tourism as a pillar of the country's cultural brand, the Philippines stakes a claim in a global market increasingly hungry for authentic experiences. The collaboration with Hain by Via Mare signals a long-term commitment to this vision—one where regional diversity becomes national strength, where recipes passed through generations become cultural currency.

This isn't about competing with the refined techniques of French cuisine or the global dominance of Japanese food culture. This is about carving out a distinct space in the international consciousness: the Philippines as a place where food still means something beyond sustenance, where eating remains an act of community, where every dish carries the fingerprints of the hands that made it.

The Taste That Lingers

As visitors to Expo 2025 navigate the overwhelming spectacle of national pavilions, innovation showcases, and future-forward demonstrations, they'll encounter something unexpected at the Philippine booth: the past, present, and future collapsed into a bowl. The steam rising from pancit molo carries with it the ghosts of those Iloilo women, their hands still folding, still teaching, still preserving. The thick, sweet comfort of binignit offers a momentary refuge from the expo's sensory overload—a reminder that the future doesn't have to mean forgetting where we came from.

These are not museum pieces or anthropological curiosities. They're living traditions, evolving while staying true to their essence, much like the Filipino people themselves. In choosing to showcase pancit molo and binignit, Chef Comsti and the TPB have made a profound statement: that a nation's identity isn't found in its ability to mimic global trends, but in its courage to offer something irreplaceably its own.

When the expo closes and visitors return home, they may forget the technological marvels and architectural innovations. But they'll remember how something made them feel—the warmth of that first spoonful, the unexpected complexity of flavors, the sense that they've tasted not just food, but story, not just cuisine, but culture.

That memory, like the one that stayed with Chef Comsti from a rocky alley years ago, might just change how they see the Philippines forever. And in the end, isn't that precisely what a world exposition is meant to do?

The Philippine Pavilion "Woven" runs throughout World Expo 2025 Osaka, showcasing the theme "Nature, Culture & Community: Woven Together for a Better Future." Daily cultural performances and the special menu by Chef Angelo Comsti complement the pavilion's 212 indigenous textiles and interactive installations, making it one of the expo's most visited attractions.

DepEd, partners map out Adopt-a-School, procurement solutions to close classroom gaps

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

MANDALUYONG CITY, 10 October 2025 — The Department of Education (DepEd) has brought together its Adopt-a-School partners and private sector allies for a Classroom Market Scoping Activity—a key step toward mobilizing more partners to help address the country’s classroom backlog through transparent, standards-based collaboration. 

“Unang-una, prayoridad natin ang masiguro na maayos at matibay ang mga maipapatayo nating silid-aralan sa tulong ng ating partners. Nais din ng ating mahal na Pangulo, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., na mataas ang kalidad ng ating mga pasilidad sa mga susunod na taon,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.  

The activity presented DepEd’s latest classroom design and technical specifications, including those for Integrated Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs) and WASH facilities, and provided updates on procurement modalities—particularly Negotiated Procurement and the Adopt-A-School Program (ASP)—to help partners align their projects with DepEd’s standards. 

The activity builds on DepEd’s series of market scoping sessions for Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS), Supplementary Learning Resources (SLRs), and education technology solutions, which have helped the Department map out supply availability, cost efficiency, and logistical feasibility for critical learning resources. 

More importantly, the engagement served as a working dialogue with partners to discuss financing models, implementation strategies, and entry points for collaboration under the Adopt-A-School framework. 

“Isa pong goal ng Market Scoping ay transparency,” Undersecretary for Procurement and Finance Oversight Rowena Candice Ruiz said. “We’re calling everyone in—we are presenting what we need, and we are making it known to our partners what our children need for their classrooms.” 

By opening its procurement pipeline and design plans, DepEd aims to bridge information gaps between the Department and potential implementers, making it easier for partners to identify viable investment areas and accelerate classroom construction nationwide. 

“This activity affirms the Department’s commitment to providing conducive learning spaces while upholding accountability and transparency,” Usec. Ruiz added. “We are opening our doors so our partners can clearly see how they can support not just DepEd, but our learners, teachers, and schools.” 

The event gathered key development and corporate partners, including Aboitiz, Angat Buhay, the Asian Development Bank, Ayala Foundation, Inc., China Bank Savings, City Savings Bank, Inc., the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), Generation Hope, Globe, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Hawkstow Construction and Development, Hybrid Solutions Asia, Jollibee Foods Corporation, EM Cuerpo, Inc. Construction, Net Solar, One Meralco Foundation, Republic Biscuit Corporation, Security Bank Foundation, and the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, among others. 

Hosted at the Senate President Neptali Gonzales Integrated School in Mandaluyong City, the activity marks another milestone in DepEd’s ongoing effort to build stronger bridges with the private sector toward the shared vision of quality education for every Filipino learner. 

DepEd also announced plans to convene partners once more in November 2025 at the Classroom Summit in Clark, Pampanga, to finalize partnership models and formalize commitments forged through the market scoping process.