President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. praised the Filipino design community on Friday during the Manila FAME exhibition for its world-class talent and potential.
The leading trade show highlights high-quality home, fashion, and lifestyle products from local MSMEs and artisanal communities.
“I have watched the design community become better and better, approaching world-class… In fact, in many cases I’ve seen today, we have surpassed world-class. We are better than others,” Mr. Marcos said.
“The designs are very Filipino, which means they’re charming, amusing, and entertaining. There’s always a touch of humor, charm, softness, and gentleness,” he added.
The President expressed confidence in the industry’s ability to thrive globally, especially with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) working to boost local enterprises.
He highlighted the importance of expanding into the digital space to help small and medium-scale enterprises reach international markets and the economic impact of the design industry, which contributes over 7 percent of the country’s GDP.
“The design industry is not a small thing—it’s worth trillions of pesos. This is why we need to do this properly, for the government, for the country, and for all our practitioners,” Marcos said.
