OSAKA, Japan – The use of rattan for the façade of the Philippine Pavilion is perhaps a simple way to address climate change issues.
The panel discussion on “Health and Climate Change: The Greatest Challenge of Our Time” underscored that climate change impacts livelihoods and health through various direct and indirect pressures, and that vulnerable populations facing social and economic inequalities are at the forefront of climate-induced health risks.
A 2023 World Health Organization (WHO) report noted that the number of heat-related deaths among people over 65 years of age was 167% higher than the average for the entire 1990s. These numbers represent more than double what was expected.
They said “these effects are increasingly lethal and are rapidly expanding.”
One of the challenges that visitors like me in the Osaka Expo have to endure is Japan’s scorching summer heat, with daily highs reaching close to 40°C. The expo organizers are implementing measures to mitigate the heat, including providing shaded areas, mist fans, and promoting hydration.
Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai will take place for six months (April 13 to October 13, 2025), organized as a global exchange and dialogue centered around the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” with sub-themes of “Saving Lives,” “Empowering Lives,” and “Connecting Lives.”
Expo 2025 fosters interaction among people with diverse values from around the world, with 158 countries and territories and 7 international organizations participating.
The rattan-clad façade of the Philippine Pavilion carries the theme “Nature, Culture & Community — Woven Together for a Better Future,” showcasing the nation’s rich heritage, biodiversity, and creativity.
Rattan served as a cooling material for those waiting in line to enter the Philippine Pavilion.
Rattan furniture is a good choice for hot climates because it does not retain heat like metal or some plastics, making it comfortable for seating and lounging even in warm weather. Its natural fibers allow airflow, further contributing to its coolness.
Industrial products made of rattan, including flooring, decking, panels, beams, decorative materials, and furniture, are long-lasting and recyclable.
Rattan is widely used as a substitute for non-recyclable, high-polluting, and energy-intensive raw materials, such as steel, cement, glass-fiber-reinforced plastic, and plastic, due to many environmental advantages, such as low carbon, energy savings, and emission reduction.
Rattan is a type of plant, like bamboo, that sequesters carbon and stores it in its biomass (stems, leaves, roots) through photosynthesis. It helps reduce carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and mitigate climate change.
The Philippine Pavilion’s rattan-clad façade was crafted by Filipino artisans, symbolizing unity in diversity, and featuring more than 200 handwoven textiles from different weaving communities representing the 18 regions.
Each piece represents the ethnolinguistic groups’ distinct culture, craft, and traditions passed down from generation to generation, with each group developing unique techniques, materials, and designs.
The 18 handwoven panels inside the pavilion were created by master artisans from all over the country using a wide range of indigenous materials—from Tinalak, cotton, abaca, and pineapple (piña) fibers, to natural dyes. Each piece tells a story of culture, identity, and generational knowledge.
The Philippine Pavilion is part of the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) program to attract 8.4 million inbound visitors in 2025 under its National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028.
Tourist arrivals to the Philippines slowly picked up after significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
From roughly 1.48 million tourists in 2020, international visitor numbers rose to around 5.44 million in 2024. Despite the increase, this number remains much lower than the pre-pandemic level.
On average, international tourists in the Philippines stay for about 11 nights, spending less than ₱8,000 daily.
The top fifteen countries of origin are South Korea, United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, China, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, France, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong SAR, and Spain.
As of 2024, 6.75 million Filipinos were employed in the tourism industry, generating about ₱760.5 billion (US$13.1 billion) in revenue from foreign tourists.
The Osaka Expo is timely, as next year (2026) will mark the 70th year of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan, with the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo opening on July 23, 1956.
Based on the latest Japanese immigration data (as of June 2024), the Filipino population in Japan stands at 332,293 individuals, accounting for approximately 11.5% of the total foreign resident population, making them the fourth-largest group of foreign residents in Japan after Chinese, Vietnamese, and Koreans.
