The Philippines is the second worst country in terms of mangrove losses in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): it suffered a 10.5% decline between 1990 and 2010, according to independent studies cited in a recent comprehensive survey. The country is surpassed only by Myanmar, which suffered a 27.6% loss between 2000 and 2014.

With mangrove decline continuing largely unchecked, coastal communities that have depended on these forests for generations face losing the heart not just of their food, fuel, shelter, and livelihood, but also of their very culture. But for Dr. Lemnuel Aragones, a marine biologist and former director of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (UPD-CS IESM), all is not yet lost.

Funded by the UP Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA), the Cinema Education research project explored ways to improve audio-visual materials for Philippine schools, such as by looking at how documentaries could be used to supplement and augment existing teaching and learning methods.

The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the need to improve the traditional Philippine education system, with educators and students around the globe relying on technology to teach and learn. With a vision to have an audio-visual industry that complements digital technology in creating educational content, Cinema for Education aims to integrate image-based learning, such as utilizing films and videos, and digital technologies into the current word-based Philippine education system.

“We are exploring ways to maximize the utility of cinema for education by promoting inclusive education in the Philippines,” Dr. Aragones explained.