The Philippines opened its National Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia on May 18, 2023. It will run untilNovember 26, 2023.

Located at the Arsenale – a main exhibition space in la Biennale alongside othernational pavilions – the Philippine Pavilion features Tripa de Gallina: Guts of Estuary,by The Architecture Collective (Bien Alvarez, Matthew Gan, Ar. Lyle La Madrid, NoelNarciso and Arnold Rañada), co-curated by Architect Choie Funk and Sam Domingo.

Tripa de Gallina (translated as “guts of the rooster”) is the longest estuary in MetroManila, and serves as a tributary among larger bodies of water in the area. Over thecenturies, the estuary has been functioning mainly as a channel to mitigate floodingand drain water from various parts of the city, but has eventually become congestedwith residents and subsequently, polluted with trash. The exhibition addresses theunsustainable environmental and social circumstances in the area and proposes anarchitectural solution that highlights the significance of empathy, collaboration,reflection and gathering.

Barangay 739 in Manila, featuring the houses fronting the site. The photo shows one of the two bridges which the pavilion drew inspiration from. Michael Angelo Reyes, Matthew Jonathan Gan, and Bien Victor Alvarez

The estero (creek) has been physically segmented in various portions through the use of steel, mesh and framing. Different barangays would assign cleaners to each segment. Michael Angelo Reyes, Matthew Jonathan Gan, and Bien Victor Alvarez

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The featured exhibition offers a diagnosis of the water’s condition and a prognosis ofthe people’s future. In a procedure of modular urban acupuncture materialized by abamboo structure that serves as a place of gathering and investigation, the Pavilioninspects the estuary’s guts: a flawed ecology of humans, waters, and dregs. It servesas a buoy for this mesh to be carefully unraveled and sustainable mended throughcollaborative action in the name of resilience. The windows in the installation providea screen on which moving archival materials play out, testifying to a tenacious urbanstruggle in history. The narrative leads to the center when an immersive audio-visualencounter with the estero lurks day and night, where both videos were directed byfilmmaker and educator Jag Garcia. From the groundwork, a lively prospect of thestate of the entire ecology is imagined through the structure’s ethnographicprojections.

Guests of the Philippine Pavilion view the center projection showing the current state of Tripa de Gallina. Andrea D’Altoe

The bamboo structure stems from the intention of the members of The ArchitectureCollective, a group of independent practitioners from the fields of architecture andcommunity development who have collaborated to create projects that areresponsive, seeking to empathize and deeply connect with the people they are building for, while leveraging on architecture as an enabler for social connection andsustainability. With its roots as a project in 2018, the group was steered by Ar. ChoieFunk to explore the circumstances surrounding Tripa de Gallina and its residents, withthe hopes of creating a space that will cultivate a deeper sense of care andcollaboration among the members of the community. The pollution in the waterwayillustrates an issue that has been aggravated over the past century, indicating aseeming disconnection between mankind and its surroundings. Alvarez, thecomputational designer for the project shares his aspirations, “It’s one step to moreaction for our country to realize that that water is a part of our lives more than mostnations. Hopefully, it's the thing that makes people realize that we should have arelationship with water.” Narciso, the project coordinator for TAC reinforces this, “I seeit is a return to the water. Water is becoming less accessible every day. And I think ifwe don't return to it, or put it as a guiding principle in design, which is the core resourceof humanity, then it is of consequence.”

Members of the community volunteered to help with the lashing of the bamboo for the platform - a project of Global Summer School – Manila. Michael Angelo Reyes, Matthew Jonathan Gan, and Bien Victor Alvarez

The members of TAC as well as the co-curators approach Tripa de Gallina: Guts ofEstuary as an attempt to create a space that will offer an opportunity for its residentsto gather, prompting more care and collaboration towards one another and theirsurroundings. It is a speculation of what can be, as well as a work in progress thatseeks to examine the future, the community and their relationships.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, chief advocate of the Philippineparticipation in the Venice Biennale emphasizes the urgency for citizens to be moremindful of their relationship towards the waste they produce, as well as theirrelationships with their environment. As the author of the Ecological Solid WasteManagement Act or Republic Act 9003, she states, “The problem affecting EsteroTripa de Gallina – and many other estuaries and waterways in the country – is nolonger merely a cause for concern, but a clear and urgent emergency. The PhilippinePavilion creates a pathway for exploration and discussion on how we can takeintentional action towards a more sustainable future. This exhibition serves as afoundation for the hope of cleaner surroundings and stronger relationships.”

“Through the exhibition, the world will have the opportunity to understand the realitiesfaced by Filipinos and realize that this issue is something that they too are facing,potentially cultivating more in-depth and meaningful discussions that leads tocollective action and a more sustainable future,” shares National Commission ofCulture and the Arts Chair and Philippine Pavilion Commissioner Victorino MapaManalo.

Experience the Philippine Pavilion at the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale through the gallery below:

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

Philippine Pavilion 18th Venice Architecture BiennaleAndrea D’Altoe

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The Philippine participation at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – LaBiennale di Venezia is a collaborative undertaking of the National Commission forCulture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Officeof Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda. The Commissioner of the PhilippinePavilion is Victorino Mapa Manalo, Chairman of the NCCA.

The Philippine Pavilion will also be made accessible through its digital programs andvirtual tours, which will be accessible to the public, anywhere in the world. To learnmore about this, visit philartsvenicebiennale.org. See updates on Facebook andInstagram via @philartsvenice.