In late August 2025, I had the privilege of presenting at the ASEAN University Network Conference on Ecological Education & Culture (AUN-EEC), hosted at Ateneo de Manila University. The gathering brought together educators, researchers, and advocates who all believe that the fight against climate change is not just about data and policies, but also about meaning and culture.
I joined Parallel Session 5: Climate Change Education in Media and Classrooms, where I spoke about how storytelling can make climate science resonate across borders. Numbers can alarm us, but stories can move us. They give climate change a human face and invite action rooted in shared values.
What struck me most was the way participants from different countries echoed the same truth: climate education is most powerful when it connects with local realities. A story told in a classroom in Manila may carry lessons that speak just as strongly in Jakarta, Hanoi, or Bangkok.
I am deeply grateful to the AUN-EEC and the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS) for the invitation and recognition, and for reminding us that climate change is not only a scientific challenge but also a cultural one.
This experience affirms a conviction I carry into my work: if we want climate action to succeed, we must also learn to tell climate stories that people can claim as their own.
