The next generation of Filipino interior design creatives took center stage as students from the College of Architecture and Design – Interior Design program of Enderun Colleges unveiled The Palimpsest: In the Afterimage of Time, a student-led exhibition held at S Maison, Main Atrium, Pasay City, Metro Manila from May 15 to 19, 2026.
The exhibit gathered representatives from government agencies, organizations, and industry partners, including delegates from the Commission on Higher Education, Professional Regulation Commission – Board of Interior Design, Philippine Institute of Interior Designers, and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), underscoring the growing support for design education and the Philippine creative industries.
More Than a Showcase: A Philosophy of Innovation
For IDr. Cecile Hufana, Program Head for Interior Design at Enderun Colleges, the exhibit represented more than a showcase of student output; it embodied the program’s philosophy of encouraging originality and innovation among emerging designers.
“We want to produce students who are courageous enough to create something original, something new, and something different,” she said. “This exhibit really brought out the creativity of our students because it challenged them to develop designs that are authentic to their own vision and ideas.”
The exhibition also highlighted the growing importance of public-facing creative education, where students are given opportunities to present their work beyond the classroom and engage with broader audiences, industry practitioners, and collaborators.
Nurturing Future Designers in Enderun
In an interview with Assistant Secretary Nylah Rizza Bautista from the DTI Competitiveness and Innovation Group, she recognized the significance of initiatives like The Palimpsest in strengthening the country’s creative economy and nurturing future Filipino designers.
“The event is very inspiring because it features our future interior designers that are truly promising. We are in the lookout for the next Kenneth Cobonpue and the next globally recognized Filipino designers,” said Bautista. “This is a very good breeding ground because we already see so much potential and talent from the students, who represent the future of this generation.”
As the Philippine creative sector continues to evolve, The Palimpsest demonstrated the importance of collaboration between academe, government, and industry in nurturing young creatives.
“We call it the triple helix: the collaboration between government, the academe, and the private sector,” Bautista shared. “Events like this are important because they expose students to the real world of interior design. Design is part of our everyday lives, and students need to understand how their creativity can translate into something meaningful, impactful, and even commercially viable for the public.”
The Student Designers: Exemplifying Enderun Excellence
The exhibition featured original works by student designers Mayi Nguene-Ibog (Roots of Gagnoa), Tasav Hanji (The Jharokha), Juliana Asencio (Ugnay-Tariq), Lovely Garcia (Passing Stories for the Future), Vanessa Marquez (Bukas Palad), William Go III (Scholar’s Rock), and Miguel Lim Catacutan (Siklod). Each piece drew from the designer’s own cultural heritage, personal history, and lived experiences, reflecting The Palimpsest’s central theme of layered memory and identity through diverse contemporary perspectives.
For Marquez, opportunities like The Palimpsest represent an important milestone in her creative journey as a young designer.
“Enderun helped me by providing opportunities like this to showcase my work publicly,” she said. “Honestly, being part of this exhibit feels like I’m finally starting my career.”
More than a furniture design showcase, The Palimpsest underscored Enderun’s interdisciplinary approach to design education, where creativity is paired with entrepreneurship and real-world execution.
From concept development to production, students were tasked not only with designing their pieces, but also with sourcing their own manufacturers, managing collaborations, refining prototypes, and overseeing the process until the final product was realized. The exercise challenged students to navigate both the creative and business sides of design, reflecting the school’s commitment to developing industry-ready designers with an understanding of both craft and commerce.
The Palimpsest: In the Afterimage of Time became a celebration of emerging voices in Filipino design, proving that when students are given the right mentorship, exposure, and platform, they are capable of shaping conversations that define the future of creativity and innovation in the Philippines.
Learn more about the Interior Design Program of Enderun Colleges via the link here: https://www.enderuncolleges.com/course/bachelor-of-science-in-interior-design/.
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