Distinguished guests from UP Open University (UPOU), Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), local art groups representatives, and other UP units take a commemorative photo with the attendees of the Green Guide for the Philippines Launching Event. Photo courtesy of UPOU Office of Public Affairs
UP Open University, through the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) and the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS), in partnership with the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), formally launches the 10th issue of the Creative Responses to Sustainability Series: Green Guide for the Philippines on 09 February 2026 at the UP Manila Museum of a History of Ideas in Ermita, Manila.
Over a hundred online and on-site attendees, from students to working professionals, flocked to the hybrid publication launch to discover how artists, cultural professionals, and organizations address timely social and environmental issues through creative pathways.
The Green Guide documents the Philippine artistic landscape in addressing its environmental realities. Through the perspectives of 18 art organizations, its evolving role in sustainability is showcased through artistic practices that navigate the pressing issues of environmental change.
Chancellor Joane V. Serrano opens the ceremony with a speech about sustainability. (Photo courtesy of UPOU Office of Public Affairs)
“For UPOU, we see sustainability not as a standalone concept. But it’s something that cuts across disciplines, sectors, and communities,” UPOU Chancellor Joane V. Serrano shared in her opening remarks.
For her, creating a space for dialogue, reflection, and shared learning is crucial in translating publications into practice. “We are constantly reminded that knowledge matters most when it responds to real context and lived realities.”
Kerrine Goh, Project Manager of the ASEF Culture Department, explained that the Green Guide is a practical tool for individuals working in the development sector to assess the role of arts and culture in responding to climate change and sustainability challenges across the globe. The latest issue focused on the Philippines, highlighting how different organizations and communities use creativity to cultivate meaningful sustainability practices.
Goh expressed her gratitude to the project partners for the successful launch. She shared that the publication manifests how the Philippines “can creatively advocate for sustainability, inspire action, and imagine more sustainable futures.”
Kerrine Goh, Project Manager of the ASEF Culture Department, provides an overview of the ASEF Green Guide Series. (Photo courtesy of Hanz Christian Natividad)
To formally introduce the 10th issue of the series, Franchesca Casauay, co-writer of the Green Guide, described the year-long writing process as a series of “desk research, interviews, site conversations, and lots of back and forth across Zoom meetings.”
Casauay also shared the knowledge patterns discovered through the research. Participating organizations designate art as a process for self-realization rather than a mere tangible output. That art is a survival skill: a necessary framework for ecological thinking and also a strategy to communicate sustainability issues through simplification. Youth empowerment was also an important concept, highlighting their central role in advocating sustainable practices toward climate action. Most importantly, art cultivates a shared space for processing trauma from environmental and social losses, especially in the context of the climate crisis.
Franchesca Casauay briefs the participants about the main findings of the Green Guide. (Photo courtesy of UPOU Office of Public Affairs)
Casauay ended her speech saying, “The green guide reminds us that environmental change is not only a scientific or policy issue, it’s also very much a cultural one. It lives in how we gather food, how we tell stories, how we care for land, and how we show up for each other.”
At the roundtable, the following distinguished researchers and art group representatives shared their expertise on the topic:
- Ted Villanueva, Youth Empowering Youth Initiative (YEY!)
- Dr. Maria Lourdes T. Jarabe, Faculty of Management and Development Studies (UPOU-FMDS)
- Dr. Grace Nono, Tao Foundation for Culture and Arts (TAO-Pilipinas)
- Roselle Pineda, Aurora Artist Residency Program and Space (AARPS)
- Dr. Diego S. Maranan, Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (UPOU-FICS)
This was moderated by Valentina Riccardo, the Director of the Culture Department of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF).
The discussion gravitated towards three main concepts: the notion of art as a necessary element in transdisciplinary practice, the importance of ethical, participatory, and relationship-building approaches during community engagements, and valuing different aspects of care for future-making. By the end of the session, attendees were given the opportunity to participate in the open forum.
From left to right: Ted Villanueva (Youth Empowering Youth Initiative), Dr. Maria Lourdes T. Jarabe (UPOU-FMDS), Dr. Grace Nono (Tao Foundation for Culture and Arts), Roselle Pineda (Aurora Artist Residency Program and Space), Dr. Diego S. Maranan (UPOU-FICS), and Valentina Riccardo (Asia-Europe Foundation). (Photo courtesy of Christian Paul Velo)
This accomplishment is in line with the National Arts Month’s theme, “Ani ng Sining: Katotohanan at Giting,” upholding the role of art and research in mobilizing action towards the Filipinos’ lived realities on sustainability. It reflects UPOU’s commitment to producing innovative research contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Written by Maria Andrea Bodaño | Edited by Shari Eunice San Pablo and Roberto B. Figueroa,Jr
