Communication Program Coordinator Dr. Crina E. Tañongon and Fine Arts-Product Design Coordinator Asst. Prof. Jay Nathan T. Jore presented the groundbreaking first phase of their research project, “Communicating Science: Bridging Science and the Arts for a Multidisciplinary Response to Loss and Damage from Climate Change in the Visayas, Philippines” at the 30th Asian Media Information and Communication (AMIC) Conference in Beijing, China.
They were joined by co-researcher Dr. Brisneve Edullantes from the Department of Biology and Environmental Science, adding scientific depth to this innovative collaboration.
The project highlights the lived experiences of a fishing community on Zaragosa Island, Badian, Cebu, using hand-drawn maps and personal narratives to document how climate change is affecting their lives.
By placing Indigenous and local knowledge systems at the forefront, this initiative challenges conventional approaches to climate knowledge, aiming to decolonize how science communicates with and supports vulnerable communities. The research integrates these community stories with hard data to develop more effective, community-centered strategies for adapting to climate change.
Asst. Prof. Jore’s ethnographic work, previously showcased in the exhibit Duyan ang Kadagatan (Cradled by the Sea), reveals the emotional and cultural losses experienced by Cebu’s coastal communities as they grapple with rising seas and changing weather patterns.
Dr. Edullantes complements this by documenting scientific phenomena such as extreme temperature spikes, algal blooms, and coral bleaching that threaten the region’s delicate marine ecosystem.
Their multidisciplinary approach offers a fresh, holistic way of communicating climate change impacts, bridging the gap between art, science, and the voices of those most affected.
The AMIC Conference, hosted by the Communication University of China, drew over 300 participants from across Asia and the Pacific. The event celebrated the diversity of Asian cultures under the theme Asia as a (Knowledge) Sharing Society and the Internationalization of Higher Education, and emphasized the importance of collaboration in fostering a more caring and empowered Asian society.
This research project, with its blend of art, science, and local knowledge, perfectly embodied that mission.
Text by: Dr. Crina Tañongon
Photos: Asst. Prof. Jay Nathan Jore