“The year 2021 is the 500th anniversary of the circumnavigation of the world,” says Marian Pastor Roces, curator of the Philippines pavilion at Dubai Expo.
“It is a moment for us to reassess the meaning of the arrival of Europe in the Philippines in 1521. But the idea for the pavilion was not to even think about that." It was to reset how the country imagines itself, she says.
Pastor Roces is working with architect Royal Pineda to orient the pavilion around the concept of “Bangkota”, the Tagalog word for “coral reef”. They will bring back the idea of a deep connection with nature, what they see as the roots of life in the Philippines.
It also has a political dimension. “With Bangkota, I am talking about going beyond the 500 years of the Spaniards colonising us, because our history goes back farther,” Pineda explains. “Our real inspiration as people is not just the influence of the Europeans, or the Americans or the Japanese, but nature: the beautiful and ancient rivers, waters, mountains and the trees of the Philippine forests.”
Pineda is co-founder and lead architect of Budji+Royal Architecture+Design, a growing practice in Manila. He entered the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry's open competition to design the Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion, and won with Bangkota. The concept was passed on to Pastor Roces, a highly regarded curator and art critic in the Philippines who has curated the country's past three Expo pavilions.
“Immediately I loved his idea,” she says. “The genius of the architecture allows space for a larger imagination of who we are, especially because Dubai is home to so much of the Filipino diaspora.”
Pastor Roces and Pineda describe their collaboration as exceptionally fruitful; Pineda provided the concept, and Pastor Roces brought the facts and scientific research that backed up Pineda's intuition.
Pastor Roces points out that in human pre-history, there are a handful of migrations that are considered epic: from Africa, across the Siberian peninsula to North America, and then across the Indo-Pacific 50,000 years ago. This was the first time humans travelled long distances by sea, and the Philippines was one of the starting points.
The Australasian languages that developed from the maritime interrelation in the Indo-Pacific are some of the most diverse on Earth, as, Pastor Roces says, there are 1,200 distinct languages spoken, and more than 170 in the Philippines.
“Most Filipinos do not know this history,” she says. “I always point out that, to this day, right now, one out of every four seafarers on Earth is a Filipino. We are still the seafarers of the world. And it's not about to diminish. So the Australasian movement from the Philippines has not stopped. It is absolutely an ongoing story.”
My dream of a better Philippines is something that is sure of its roots
Royal Pineda,
architect
Pineda’s design nods to the sea in a series of separate buildings that are inspired by the footprint of a coral reef. They are each surrounded by undulating black mesh, which blocks out the sun while allowing air to circulate. Platforms within the structure offer viewing areas and spaces for greenery, and indoor areas hold the exhibition and performance venues that will feature examples of Filipino culture, food and music.
"From the beginning, I said I will not bring the Nipa hut to Dubai, nor the old Spanish architecture," says Pineda. "It gave me an opportunity to innovate.
"This is my eagerness to present the modern minds of the Filipinos, because modernity is not specifically about time, it's about betterment. That's why I call it a modern Philippines now, because we are creating a better Philippines. And my dream of a better Philippines is something that is sure of its roots."
Pastor Roces says she looked for artists who could carry both their own subject and the larger idea of Bangkota. She has included work by Scott "Gutsy" Tuazon, Patrick Cabral, Dan Raralio and Riel Jaramillo Hilario, to name a few, as well as a score by composer Teresa Barroso, and a dance by choreographer Denisa Reyes. The role of Overseas Filipino Workers will also be recognised, for example in a mural painted by graffiti artist Dex Fernandez.
That more than half a million Filipinos live in the UAE makes the Philippines Pavilion a particularly important one for Expo 2020 Dubai.
“There are Filipinos all over the world, and they are still very connected,” says Pineda. “Because of our culture of family and our strong bonds.”
The economic circumstances in the country that have forced so many Filipinos to work abroad are glimpsed in the pavilion design, too, whether in the nod to OFWs or the budget that Pineda worked within. Pineda says he chose to work with lower-cost materials, such as the wire mesh – which he calls “practical luxury" – to reflect this. There is also an ecological element to the design, which will be in the Sustainability area of Expo, as the building is modular and collapsible, and was made with material sourced in the UAE.
The decision worked out well for the country. When other pavilions were delayed after imports were held up because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Philippines' kept to schedule.
After the event, like most of the pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai, the Philippines Pavilion will stay in the Jebel Ali area temporarily before moving to the Philippines. There, it will be installed in New Clark City, the planned community about 100 kilometres north of Manila, where it will serve a new purpose and act as a testament to Filipino identity.
What exactly is that identity? "Filipinos always collaborate," says Pineda. "This is what we call bayanihan, which means not being a hero, but helping each other in times of need. We always help our brothers and our fellow Filipinos."
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The%20specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
'Midnights'
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
The%20specs
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
