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03 July 2025
Designers, educators, and policymakers gathered on June 10, 2025 at the Benilde Design + Arts Campus for IDx Conversations, a roundtable that explored how ethics, empathy, and Filipino values shape the practice of design. Held in celebration of World Industrial Design Day, the event was organized by the Design Center of the Philippines in partnership with Benilde Industrial Design, bringing together thought leaders who champion design’s role in social, cultural, and economic development.
This year’s global theme Let’s Get Ethical was reframed locally into We > Me, drawing on Kapwa, the Filipino understanding of shared personhood. Throughout the half-day session, speakers discussed how design can move beyond aesthetics or commercial goals to reflect care, cultural continuity, and systemic impact. The six Filipino design values, Malasakit, May Puso, Malikhain, Madiskarte, Mabusisi, and Mahusay, served as foundational touchpoints throughout the dialogue.
Featured speakers included Prof. Felipe De Leon Jr., who centered his perspective talk on Pagpapakatao and creativity as a culture of healing; Paolo Mercado, who shared insights on the National Design Policy as a framework for advancing the creative economy; and TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez, who underscored the importance of aligning education policy with inclusive innovation and creative competencies.
As host, Benilde’s Industrial Design program anchored the session in practice. Through human-centered product development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and research-driven processes, the program prepares students to create meaningful objects and systems that respond to contemporary social and environmental challenges. It cultivates not only technical fluency and aesthetic rigor, but also a design philosophy that integrates cultural awareness and ethical responsibility.
The session was moderated by Idr. Carla Mae Leonor of the Design Center of the Philippines, with reactions from industry leaders Mylene Abiva and Jude Tiotuico. Institutional partners including Industrial Design Program Chair Romeo Catap, Jr., on behalf of Dean Harvey Vasquez of the School of Environment and Design; Executive Director Maria Rita Matute; and World Design Organization President Thomas Garvey highlighted the collaborative spirit of IDx Conversations and its relevance to global design discourse.
IDx Conversations was one of several initiatives this year showcasing the School of Environment and Design’s mission to foreground human-centered approaches across disciplines. Earlier this year, SED also hosted the inaugural Benilde Architecture and Design Innovation Prize (BADIP), a student-led competition focused on climate-conscious and socially engaged design. Events like these reflect how the school not only educates future designers, but actively contributes to shaping ethical and inclusive design culture.
For more information on Benilde’s undergraduate programs, contact us at (63) 2 8230 5100 local 1801 or admissions@benilde.edu.ph. You may also visit our website at www.benilde.edu.ph. You may also follow Benilde Industrial Design on Facebook for updates.
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