At the National Museum of Natural History, an exhibit on climate action opens

If you want to know what exactly the government is doing about climate change, then head on over to the National Museum of Natural History, where a modest exhibit on multi-stakeholder climate action opened in late April.

Presented by Aksyon Klima Philippines in partnership with the National Museum "Katumbalikwasan: Linking Climate, Nature, and People" showcases the best practices of civil society groups, communities, and the government in responding to climate impacts. 

The government actually has a lot of plans in place in addressing the climate crisis, which the exhibit especially aims bring closer to the public. These include the National Climate Change Action Plan, the National Adaptation Plan, and the Nationally Determined Contribution, which is currently being updated.

At the exhibit opening, Sec. Robert Borje, Vice-Chairperson of the Climate Change Commission said "Katumbalikwasan" represents "a call to reclaim our narratives."

"We have the science, the plans, and the policies, but without a shared language, they remain seeds on barren soil," he said.

Meanwhile, National Museum Philippines Deputy-Director General Joel Legaspi called 2025 as a critical year for climate action and said "Katumbalikwasan" represents "a call to action."

The exhibit is made up of 12 panels that inform and educate visitors on various intersections of climate change including with plastic and with air pollution, as well as illuminate on issues like greenhouse gas emissions.

"Katumbalikwasan" also has interactive elements, including being able to sample the "Animal Town," a simulation game that informs users about the important of biodiversity conservation; as well as the Household Greenhouse Gas Calculator owned by Green Convergence, which determines how many trees each household will need to plant to offset their contribution to climate pollution.

At the very end is a piece by artist A.G. Saño.

In his speech at the opening, National Coordinator of AKP John Leo Algo said "It is time for Filipinos to become initiators instead of reactors, and it starts wit showing them that their actions can make a difference."

In case you didn't know: Katumbalikwasan is a new Filipino translation for "resilience." An amalgamation of different Filipino words like "katumbas" "tumba," "balik,""balikwas" and "kalikasan," Katumbalikwasan was first coined by the late environmentalist and historian Miguel Magalang of Marinduque one year after Yolanda made landfall in the Philippines. 

According to AKP, the exhibit aims to redefine resilience and communication of the urgency of climate. It runs until April 2026. — LA, GMA Integrated News