Shanghai Daily news

The Philippines will build a national pavilion in World Expo Shanghai 2010 providing music, performances, and even spas, organizers said as the country signed a participation contract yesterday.

The pavilion will be unusual in that it will have not only restaurants and cafes, but also spas and a massage center.

"Philippines is famous for its therapy spa and a kind of massage called Hilot," said Joseph H Durano, commissioner general of the country for Expo.

Hilot, the Filipino healing art, is the oldest and the most secret art in the Philippines.

"It was very popular in Aichi Expo Japan in 2005," Durano said.

Massages will be provided for visitors to experience.

Following the experience gained in Aichi, each massage will only last about two minutes to avoid huge queues for the free service.

The Philippines will also promote their coffee culture in the 2,000-square-meter pavilion in the Expo site, Durano said.

"The budget of the pavilion is close to US$10 million," he added. "The pavilion in Shanghai Expo is the biggest one in the history of the Philippines in terms of both the size and the budget."

The Philippines Pavilion will present how the country's people are integrating music and performances into urban planning, the organizers said.

The country has scheduled a "Philippines Pavilion Day" on June 9, the annual day of celebration to mark the friendship between China and the Philippines.