Blending compassion with design expertise, 42 graduating Interior Design students from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) unveiled Liwaga 2025, a capstone exhibit that showcases their renovation of the living spaces of Hospicio de San Jose’s residents. Showcased on the 4th floor of Ayala Malls Manila Bay from April 11 to 15, the exhibit featured their journey of transforming the institution into a haven of comfort and functionality.
Liwaga’s name merges the Filipino words liwanag and alaga, embodying the students' vision to illuminate the lives in Hospicio de San Jose through thoughtful design. By drawing inspiration from the playful concept of bahay-bahayan, the exhibit transformed the spaces into nurturing environments that evoke the warmth and security of home. It showcased the dedication of young designers to bridge creativity and community service, designing spaces that not only function but also heal, inspire, and uplift.
Lighting the spark
Liwaga 2025 opened its doors with an opening speech by Anne Santos, an ID121 Interior Design student and the project’s externals manager. She introduced the idea of Liwaga 2025 as “A celebration of community, a space for people to be seen and appreciated, and feel something a part of.”
Following this, the two project supervisors, IDr. Randy Pabona and IDr. Vanessa Puente, expressed their appreciation to the people who made Liwaga 2025 possible. “[It] is celebrating skills, talent, efforts, commitment, and love that contributed to this exhibit,” Pabona shared.
Amara Avarion, ID121, and the project’s logistics head added that Liwaga 2025 is dedicated to transforming lives through the power of design by creating uplifting spaces that nurture connection, imagination, and well-being. “We didn’t just renovate, we reimagined. We gave new life, new meaning, and most of all-new hope.”
From sketch to reality
After presenting a video of the project’s rendering and the finished output, Ms. Maribel Ardales, the social worker for Hospicio de San Jose, spoke on behalf of the institution. Ms. Aradles shared that they often wished to be chosen as a beneficiary for a renovation project. “[It was] a prayer answered. We have 14 buildings, and they are old ones.”
Closing off, IDr. Karol Antonio, the project’s interior designer, delivered her closing remarks, expressing that Liwaga 2025 highlighted the impact of design in nurturing the community and uplifting marginalized voices. “[Liwaga 2025] beyond brushes and canvas by developing a human-centered approach,” she shared.
Marking a new dawn
Rooted in compassion and creativity, Liwaga 2025 embodies the power of design to nurture, heal, and inspire communities in need. The project is a testament to the profound impact of care and imagination through creating spaces that uplift the soul and foster connection.
In an exclusive interview with The Benildean, Patricia Danielle Maljan, ID121 and Liwaga 2025’s internal project manager, shared that by working closely with the community, they were able to create results that reflect the community’s needs and perspectives.
“There's this thing we call intentional design. And to design intentionally, you really have to empathize and get to know the user.” She added that, “Aside from just knowing that they have special needs and the facts, we also got to understand them at a different level.”
Avarion further explained the concept of Liwaga 2025 as a beacon of light and love that redefines spaces as havens of warmth, growth, and belonging. “[Liwaga 2025] is basically giving life and giving happiness to the people who care and the people who are getting those care for the space in Hospicio.”
Remodelling boundaries
Beyond this, Liwaga 2025 redefined the usual definition many have in regards to interior design. IDr. Antonio, one of the project’s advisors, shared in an interview with The Benildean, “Interior design is not really just for the rich. It's actually a borderless practice, and this exhibit actually tells the story of a community through it.”
Additionally, Maljan further expounded, “[that] no matter what you do or what skills you're given with in this earth, you can always use it for a bigger purpose. It is important to give back to the community, whether it be interior design, music, or film, mayroon siyang mapupuntahan.”
Liwaga 2025 illustrates how thoughtful design can nurture not just spaces, but the spirits of those who call them home. The project showed that design can be a powerful tool for social change and human dignity, displaying that meaningful spaces can be created with compassion as the primary building material.
