PICC HOSTS FOOD-TASTING BANQUET, CELEBRATES 43 YEARS
Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) is home to the country's most talked-about events and celebrations. The Center is designed by no less than the late National Artist for Architecture Leandro V. Locsin in a trademark brutalist style, which complements the Cultural Center of the Philippines, its neighboring structure.
In celebration of its 43rd anniversary, PICC invited distinguished guests from the media for a food tasting event held at the Center’s Agoncillo Hall last September 27. Named “A Taste of PICC: A Culinary experience from Asia’s first Convention Center,” the event gathered leaders and luminaries, with personalities such as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor and Chairman of the PICC Board of Directors Benjamin E. Diokno, PICC Board of Directors Atty. Renato B. Padilla, Dr. Jocelyn J. Yambao-Franco, Ms. Susan S. Villar, and Mr. Octavio B. Peralta.
As guests savored the dishes served by Via Mare, Filipino Opera singer/ songwriter and PICC performer Lara Maigue performed a heart-warming song to delight the audience. A discussion panel was also held, with restaurateur and President of Via Mare Corporation Glenda Barreto sharing insights with General Manager Renato Padilla on what it meant to serve a distinct “taste of PICC,” the same fine experience that guests from all over the world have relished for over four decades.
The Center is slated to begin two new expansion projects for 2021. A new, multi-story building with a modern design and state-of-the-art facilities is in the works. It will be named the Trade Exhibit Hall, and will replace PICC's Forum. For its Davao site, the Convention Hall in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex will be repurposed into a contemporary Convention Center, with the PICC managing its operation as it opens in 2022.