The Design Center of the Philippines, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), highlighted the significant role of design in addressing challenges in various areas such as sustainability, social justice, and economic development during this year's national design festival.

During the State of Philippine Design roundtable held at The Astbury Makati, Design Center Executive Director Rhea Matute emphasized that "design" embodies "malasakit" or "compassion" – a force that propels one into action –  for leading changemakers in the country's design and creative industries.

Matute emphasized the Design Center's aim to foster a  design-thinking mindset, enabling individuals to transcend superficial solutions and delve deeper into the root causes of problems, crafting sustainable and impactful solutions that truly address the needs of society.

“Our ambition is to really make design a national competency. We believe that the whole tool kit that is with the designer can be something that becomes a skill, even for people in the business world or in public service," Matute said.

She added that "it allows them to become critical thinkers, system thinkers, and problem solvers. It’s about creating a system that can genuinely address real needs and issues and not just surface solutions.”

The Design Week Philippines 2023, held last Oct. 14 to 21, featured over 116 main and partner events nationwide, including talks, workshops, tours, and exhibitions, all showcasing the convergence of creativity and community.

With the theme #OnTheEdge, the design festival brought together over 7,000 participants, including designers, architects, entrepreneurs, and students.

The week-long celebration provided a dynamic platform for networking, learning, and collaboration opportunities to foster creativity and innovation that inspired participants to use design to create a better future for the country.

For her part, StraightArrow Creative Process Outsourcing CEO Haraya Del Rosario-Gust shared that designers are uniquely positioned to envision solutions before they come to pass in a world inundated with conflict and seemingly insurmountable challenges.

“Design has a unique power to solve problems. As designers, we possess the ability and capacity to visualize something before it becomes reality. So before people design the solution, we help them understand the real problem,” Del Rosario-Gust said.

Some of the highlights of the design festival include workshops such as folio reviews, pottery workshop, co-designing with the community; and talks on designing your career, design & AI, and designing with joy, spearheaded by 45 speakers all over the country.

Multiple design-week-related activities and events were also held in participating cities and provinces nationwide including Tuba, Benguet; Oton, Iloilo; Cebu City, Cebu; Sorsogon City, Sorsogon; Siargao, Surigao Del Norte; Sagay, Negros Occidental;  Taytay and Antipolo, Rizal

From the insightful talks and workshops to the captivating exhibits and installations, this year's Design Week showcased the immense talent and creativity of the Filipino design community, bringing a sense of inspiration and hope to the design industry.