Message of Senator Loren Legarda | Philippine Pavilion Reception | Frankfurt Book Fair | Tuesday, 14 October 2025 |Frankfurt, Germany

The Philippines stands today in Frankfurt not only as Guest of Honour but as a nation of storytellers, of islands, of journeys, of fighters, of survivors, of lovers, of memories, and of millions of stories longing to be told.

This Pavilion, curated by Patrick Flores and designed by Stanley Ruiz, is our offering to the world: a space of reflection, and wonder, where we invite you to experience how words and images can build bridges between peoples and across continents. Just as the seas may separate our 7,641 islands, literature and culture have always brought our people together. In the same spirit, we wish to share how creativity and imagination remind us of how similar we truly are as human beings.

The Philippine Pavilion is open, hospitable, and most importantly, alive! It is shaped by the craftsmanship of Filipino hands and the ingenuity of our creative minds. Made from kapis, bamboo, piña, and steel, this space carries with it the warmth of our shores and the “resilience” that has seemingly been used to define the Filipino spirit. But the Filipino spirit cannot be contained by resilience alone. We are patient, yes, but also unafraid to fight for justice, to demand what is fair, and to stand for what is right.

Please accept and experience the Filipino generosity. Join us in our struggles, cry with our pain, laugh with our neighbors, and triumph in our battles. For in every Filipino story lives a truth that belongs to all of humanity and there is no stronger bond than a shared experience, history, and journey.

There are four zones in the Pavilion, our National Hero Jose Rizal; the work of National Artists and National Living Treasures; the history of books in the Philippines; and books on the Philippines published outside the country in the last five years. What better way to know our country than to immerse in the literature that has shaped our education, our institutions, and life itself?

May we be reminded that the beauty of our written, visual, and spoken text is not seen in its form or fame but its ability to gather us in a common understanding.

In a world marked by conflict and uncertainty, the act of reading, writing, and creating are the quiet forces that heal, connect, and restore our faith in one another. Empathy is rooted in understanding, and understanding can only be extracted from the truth.

That is the beauty of the arts, it reveals the truth in our love, the reason for our convictions, and the power of our dreams.

On behalf of the Filipino people, I thank the organizers of the Frankfurt Book Fair for this gracious invitation and hospitality, and I congratulate the curators, artists, and cultural workers who have given life to this remarkable Pavilion. I now formally declare the Pavilion open.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!