An organization established schools to hone the skills and knowledge of children on creating climate solutions based on the culture of their community.
Tayo co-founder Natasha Tanjutco stated that their Schools of Culture and Creativity were now teaching the children to protect biodiversity in their own cultural ways.
“This idea of not exoticizing it as something very different and unique, but also highlighting the biodiversity and respecting their unique cultures at the same time,” she said during a panel discussion in the Design Week Philippines 2024.
The celebration aimed to strengthen the Filipinos’ appreciation for the culture through integrating their creativity into crafts and innovations.
Tanjutco said that the children in Halian Island in Surigao del Norte, where they built their school about four years ago, were already initiating efforts to save the environment, such as doing coastal clean-ups and planting coral reefs.
The co-founder explained that the coral reefs on Halian Island protected the communities from the devastation of Typhoon Odette in 2021.
She added that the communities thrived with their own solutions to the climate crisis, like protecting the coral reefs in their area.
According to her, the non-governmental organizations should support the communities in their own ways of solving environmental issues rather than their interference.
Tanjutco emphasized the need for an intergenerational conversation about the climate crisis that would reach the young people.
“We really want to create more spaces for these schools of local knowledge that really act as direct, I guess, solutions to the climate crisis,” she said.
Tayo is an organization dedicated to promoting sustainability and celebrating Filipino heritage through brand development and cultural awareness.
The Department of Trade and Industry–Design Center of the Philippines held the “Design Week Philippines 2024,” which was participated in by more than 15 cities in various regions.
According to Rhea Matute, the executive director of the agency, the celebration would enable communities nationwide to envision and create products, places, and policies.
“By embracing our unique archipelagic sensibilities, we’re not just designing for today — we’re designing a framework that unleashes Filipino ingenuity and cultural heritage towards long-term growth, national prosperity, and global impact,” she said.
With the theme “Unearthing Islandness,” the Design Week, which started on October 12 and would end on October 19, highlighted sustainability, heritage, and innovation in the country’s landscape.
