Marcos reopens renovated PICC: ‘Home of the Filipino spirit’

Posted on Politiko.com.ph on September 30, 2025

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday formally reopened the Philippine International Convention Center in time for its 50th anniversary and the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summits next year.

Marcos was accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, in unveiling the renovated historic PICC, calling it the “a home of the Filipino spirit.”

The PICC was temporarily closed in March for a major renovation in preparation for its 50th anniversary and the Philippines’ hosting of the 2026 ASEAN Summit.

“We are revisiting a chapter of our nation’s history. We are gathered in a place where history was written, lives were celebrated, where the future will once again be shaped,” Marcos said.

He added: “Every brick, every beam, every hall of the building carries with it nearly five decades of stories.”

The PICC has hosted a number of international events such as the Miss Universe pageant in 1994 and the ASEAN Summit in 2017.

“But what makes the PICC truly special is not only the big moments that made the headlines. It is also the smaller, more personal moments – the ones that never made it to the front page but stayed forever in the hearts of the people,” Marcos said.

He noted how countless parents turned emotional as they witness their children during graduation ceremonies at the PICC or oath-taking ceremonies for young professionals.

“These are the memories that give life to PICC. These are the stories that turn a hall of concrete into a home of the Filipino spirit,” the President said.

Envisioned by the President’s mother, the PICC formally opened on September 5, 1976 to host the IMF-World Bank meeting in Manila.

It was designed by the late National Artist Leandro Locsin and is widely regarded as an architectural marvel and a national cultural treasure.

The First Lady played a major role in overseeing the renovation of the PICC, which is now “equipped this architectural marvel with new technologies so it can deliver the very best for our people,” Marcos said.

It now has state-of-the-art audio-visual systems, energy-efficient lighting, complex-wide high-speed Wi-Fi, and enhanced security.

“And because we believe that art must live with us, the PICC will also showcase a newly curated art collection, with priceless works from Filipino masters. This features key pieces from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” the President said.

He also urged Filipinos to support and nurture the country’s artists.

“As we reopen the doors of the PICC, let us also open ourselves to a greater challenge: to create, to imagine, and to contribute,” he said.

Marcos added: “Support our artists – our painters, our musicians, our performers. For in their creativity, we find not only beauty, but the very soul of our nation. And beyond appreciation, let us take part in that creation ourselves.”