A new National Museum exhibit aims to reshape our understanding of climate resilience

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MANILA, Philippines – Aksyon Klima Pilipinas (AKP), the Philippines’ largest civil society network for climate action, launched its “Katumbalikwasan: Linking Climate, Nature and People” exhibition last April 28 at the National Museum of Natural History, displaying ongoing efforts by government and civil society to address climate change and biodiversity loss.

Resilience has often been hailed as a defining Filipino trait. With the Philippines ranking 10th in Germanwatch’s 2025 Climate Risk Index report on countries most impacted by severe weather disasters in the last 30 years, most Filipinos have come to expect extreme heat and strong typhoons as part of their everyday lives.

But AKP’s “Katumbalikwasan” exhibit aims to redefine climate resilience from the passive “brush it off” mentality to an active approach that contributes to the fight against the climate crisis. The exhibit’s name reflects this vision by combining the words katumbas (equal), tumba (fall), balik (return), balikwas (turning point), and kalikasan (nature).

“It is time for Filipinos to become initiators instead of reactors, and it starts with showing them that their actions can make a difference. It starts with making them understand that the problems we are facing are interconnected, that the familiar environmental issues can become worse due to the climate crisis,” said AKP national coordinator John Leo Algo.

One of the features of the exhibition is a Household Greenhouse Calculator made by environmental group Green Convergence that allows museumgoers to calculate how many trees they need to plant to offset their household’s carbon footprint.

INTERACTION. Museumgoers compute their carbon footprint using Green Convergence’s Household Greenhouse Calculator. Photo by Andrei Rosario/Rappler

CLIMATE ACCOUNTABILITY. Angelina Galang of environmental group Green Convergence explains the many indicators of her organization’s Household
Greenhouse Calculator. Photo by Andrei Rosario/Rappler

“What can we do to achieve a high level of economic and social development but not impact the environment greatly? For this, we need a tool, we need a calculator…. To measure the national carbon footprint is a task of the climate change mission,” said Green Convergence’s Angelina Galang.

“Katumbalikwasan” also exhibits Animal Town, a simulation game developed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau, where users can explore Philippine biodiversity and support conservation efforts through in-app purchases and advertisements.

Seeing the bigger picture

The exhibition also includes features on how the government is leading nationwide efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

Museumgoers can explore the exhibits on the National Climate Change Action Plan, an overarching framework for the country’s climate change mitigation programs, and the National Adaptation Plan, which aims to improve resilience to climate effects.

Visitors can also learn how the country is working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement through an exhibit on the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution.

OPEN FOR VIEWING. Climate Change Commission Vice Chairperson Robert Borje leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the ‘Katumbalikwasan’ exhibit at the Marble Hall of the National Museum of Natural History. Photo by Andrei Rosario/Rappler

Climate Change Commission Vice Chairperson Robert Borje said the exhibit helps bridge the communication gap between climate change policymakers and the general public. He stressed the need to embed climate action in the lived experiences of communities.

“Our policies must speak not in jargon but in truths that touch the hearts and mobilize hands. We have the science, the plans, and the policies, but without a shared language, they remain seeds on barren soil,” he said.

In partnership with the National Museum of the Philippines, AKP will also lead discussions on the climate crisis with various sectors. The exhibit will be on view at the Marble Hall of the National Museum of Natural History until April 2026. – Andrei Rosario/Rappler.com