By: Sophia Pacheco
Photo courtesy: ob Manahan / ABS-CBN News
The Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) reopened to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 30, after undergoing six months of restoration to preserve its artworks and modernize its facilities.
The restoration covered the conservation of murals and interior finishes, as well as upgrades to lighting, sound systems, and accessibility features.
According to PICC General Manager Nicolette Ann Cruz, the venue will continue to be a site for discussion and celebration, with the restoration serving as both a technical challenge and a cultural responsibility.
“But metaphysically, the PICC is not just a heritage infrastructure, nothing unites more than the PICC. There is no shortage of praise showered upon the PICC and its historical, artistic virtues,” said Cruz.
“We did this for our country as we should, execution wise it was a challenge from start to finish from its beautiful design – its intensive swatchings, matchups and methodologies, its meticulously selected and spruced materials and its detail-sensitive and highly technical works,” she added.
Owned by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the PICC was designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin and opened on Sept. 5, 1976.
Commissioned in 1974 by then first lady Imelda Marcos, the convention center was completed in less than two years and was considered the ‘most modern in Asia’ at the time.
As it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2026, the PICC is set to host the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
“As we reopen the doors of the PICC, let us also open ourselves to a greater challenge, to create, to imagine, and to contribute,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said in his remarks.
Starting in October, the PICC will be accepting reservations for a variety of events, including global conferences, conventions, meetings, graduation ceremonies, and personal milestones.