Following the French cultural tradition of exchanging thoughts and questioning everything, the French Ministry of Culture through the Institut Français and the network of French Embassies and Alliances françaises in the world, invites thinkers, politicians, professionals, stakeholders, civil society, and the general public to gather one evening in the year to address issues that concern humanity.

On Oct. 5, the Philippines joined the global discussion on the Night of Ideas (La Nuit de idées) to see how man’s growing interaction with nature has affected our existence. The Embassy of France, in cooperation with the Alliance française de Manille and the National Museum of the Philippines, hosted such an evening of intellectual discourse at the National Museum of Natural History to see how man has occupied the Philippine archipelago and throughout thousands of years, cultivated the land to serve his needs. 

Entitled “Tao Pô : Reconciling Mankind and Nature for a Sustainable Future,” the Night of Ideas 2023 in the Philippines gathered distinguished speakers, including Archeology researcher Hermine Xhauflair, museum curator Marian Pastor Roces, economist and former secretary for socio-economic affairs  Cielito Habito, Design Center executive director Rhea Matute, Philippine Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture Angel Bautista, Coffee Science Center expert Rich Watanabe, and Fibers founder Pamela Mejia, to share their knowledge, experiences on the different aspects of man’s interaction with nature, and suggestions toward a more sustainable future. 

Climate change champion and cultural advocate Senator Loren Legarda provided a message that set the tone of the environmental context that has proven the resilience of the Filipino people in the midst of natural calamities brought about by global warming. 

Television journalist and documentary producer Howie Severino moderated the discussion that highlighted issues on food security and the conservation of heritage to ensure sustainability.

In true French fashion, and in time for the Paris Fashion Week, the Night of Ideas included a fashion show that featured clothes and textiles that were crafted following traditional and sustainable principles, particularly by designers Twinkle Ferraren, Muni Muni by Lara Rapanan and Alyanna Pfeider, and Maison Métisse by Adrienne Charuel. 

In the Marble hall of the museum was an exhibit of sustainable and upcycled products presented by Artifeks, Maison Métisse, Everything Green, Gree-ne-las, Twinkle Ferraren, Style Isle, TenTwenty Kids, and Barrio Studios.