The Philippines is ramping up preparations for its participation in Expo 2020. And for the country's consulate in Dubai, the Expo drive starts by bringing Filipino expats together - through a basketball tournament next month.

Philippine Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes said the sporting event that will kick off on August 9 is not just a basketball competition but an activity that will also boost camaraderie in the community.

"In the lead-up to Expo 2020, we will hold various monthly activities to drum up support and create a sense of heightened awareness for Philippine participation in Expo 2020," Cortes told reporters earlier this week.

He said that through the Expo, the Philippine Consulate and other government agencies - including the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Tourism - will promote the country's history and culture by holding multi-sectoral events related to Philippine cuisine, creative industry, sports, arts, tourism, music, dance, fashion, textile and agriculture.

"The events for the Filipino community will start in August and will run until April 2021," said Cortes.

"We started with basketball because it's the most popular sport among Filipinos. With this tournament, we can reach out to the community at the grass roots level and drum up support for our participation at Expo 2020, which will open in October next year."

'Coral reef' pavilion

The Philippine government recently announced that its pavilion at the Expo will take the form of a 'Bangkota', the ancient Filipino word for coral reef.

The concept stemmed from the aim to highlight not only the country's natural resources but the similarities between the coral reef and Filipinos: "Both grow into colonies that thrive throughout the world," Cortes earlier told Khaleej Times.

"Our pavilion at Expo 2020 hopes to encapsulate the journey of a Filipino nation from the 16th century to the present. From the architecture, to the design, to the substance of our participation, we will show Dubai and the world that the Filipino - though he has transported his roots and established them in places other than our home country - has learned to metamorphose into a resilient race that is able to imbibe not only his tradition and culture but also that of the country he finds himself in," he added.

The Philippine pavilion will be a 3,000 square-metre space with a 1,300 square-metre enclosed area. It will feature five exhibit areas, an artisanal café, and Go Lokal! stores.

The creators said they would use mesh instead of concrete as the primary material "as a way to present the Filipinos truthfully, rather than compete with other countries".

After Expo 2020, the Bangkota will be installed permanently in New Clark City, Philippines.

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