To advocate maritime and archipelagic awareness, the Department of Education (DepEd) launched the “MANA Mo” webinar series.
As part of the Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANA Mo), the webinar series aims to to raise awareness of the country’s maritime resources and ecosystems.
“This will allow us to understand better the issues relative to maritime and archipelagic concerns and awareness among us Filipinos,” said DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio.
The MANA Mo webinar series is livestreamed every Monday and Wednesday of September via DepEd Philippines Facebook page.
DepEd said that the MANA Mo webinar series supports President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation No. 316 signed in 2017, which mandates agencies to observe maritime biodiversity, resources, and cultural heritage protection and preservation every September.
With theme, “Our Seas, Our Livelihood, Our Heritage: Connecting Lives and Nations,” the “MANA Mo” webinar series is being led by the Office of the Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction (OUCI) through the Bureau of Learning Delivery (BLD).
An eight-episode webinar series, the first episode of “MANA Mo” was livestreamed on Sept. 6.
Titled “Discovering the Richness of Philippine Coastal and Marine Ecosystem and Biodiversity,” the first episode of the webinar series featured Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Coastal and Marine Management Section - Biodiversity Management Bureau Chief Desiree Eve Maaño.
“I think ang mga teachers po natin yung isa sa mga pinaka-influential sa buhay ng isang tao, so kayo po yung pwedeng mag-advocate talaga ng kung ano ba yung pwede maging impact ng basura sa karagatan, sa mga marine resources,” Ms. Maaño noted on teacher’s role in marine conservation awareness.
“I think our teachers are one of the most influential in a person's life, you are the ones who can really advocate what the impact of waste can be on the ocean, on marine resources,” Maaño said in a mix of English and Filipino as she underscored the roles of teacher in marine conservation awareness.
DepEd BLD Director Leila Areola, on the other hand, urged the students to participate in the essay writing, slogan writing, and poster making contest in observance of “MANA Mo.”
“With the MANA Mo webinar series, it will allow learners to demonstrate their ingenuity and creativity while highlighting our maritime and cultural legacy and biodiversity,” Areola said.
“Marami po kayong pwedeng maging role para i-advocate natin yung tamang pamamaraan, saka yung mga sustainable activities para maituro natin sa ating mga kids at mga students (There are many of you who can play a role so that we can advocate the right methods, as well as sustainable activities so that we can teach our kids and students),” she added.