Kamusta ka? It is an automatic, friendly quick “check” of another’s well-being at the time of contact.
So, how are we, really?
We all know that no one can survive without what nature provides. Our “well-being” is not independent of the air, food and soil and other elements of nature that we are connected to. So, when we ask our fellow Filipinos – “kamusta ka?” – it should also refer to what basically sustains our lives – the working connections of living and non-living elements of nature which is “biodiversity”. So how is our own Philippine biodiversity?
Just as MIND S-COOL TV Season 3 convinced you that you are biodiversity and biodiversity is you, Season 4 brings you onboard a revelatory 6-episode adventure to prove to you that you are ok ONLY IF nature is ok.
In Season 4, you will discover a very unique “OK Clinic” where you get to see what ails our Philippine biodiversity and how these are seriously affecting our own health as Filipinos. Just as when you have a check-up to see if your heart, lungs, kidneys and other vital systems are working well, you will get to zoom in on the habitats – forests, wetlands and the seas – to get to understand that these are the natural lifelines we have and that destroying them will spell tragedies for what we thought were only our “personal” health.
These “check-up” adventures that our questers Mikee and Pecier will live out across the 6 episodes, will be punctuated by the presence of the “doctors” who study and check on “biodiversity”. They are namely Kuya Aldrin, ecologist of the “OK Clinic”, and Ate Rina, the “head banker” of a very different kind of bank called “Samu’t Saring Bangko ng Buhay.” And of course, Manong G (which stands for “genius guard”), the mysteriously mindful “guard” of MIND S-COOL will be issuing his flashes of wisdom to the MIND S-COOL barkada in all these episodes.
Moms from Mommy Bloggers Philippines attended the media launch of Mind S-Cool TV Season 4 – L-R – Mommy Bedalyn, Melissa, Margaux, Sarah, Gail, Nikay, Lanie, Jessa, Cheanne and Nicole.
The last 2 episodes of Season 4 will also empower viewers to discover that the treatments and cures for what ails Philippine biodiversity are within our reach. We can save ourselves by saving our biodiversity, and Season 4 will show audiences the powerful, creative and even fun ways we can do with our families, friends and community to chart our way towards positive health in this wondrous and beautiful archipelagic spot on this planet!
Just as with Season 3 where MIND S-COOL TV creatively showed that “I am biodiversity and biodiversity is me”, Season 4 was also mindfully created by an all-Filipino team of creatives in partnership with the Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans, and Landscapes (SIBOL) Activity of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The moms had a chance to try how Mind S-Cool is being produced and we got to see ourselves on TV and present with the host of the show! What a cool experience!
Mind S-Cool TV Season 4 also shows how everyone can be a part of the solution to the problems that biodiversity is facing right now.
With the producers and hosts of Mind S-Cool – Q & A portion
Greatly inspired by the ratings of Season 3 that showed very strong shared viewership among Filipino families with over 2.2 million views and being the only science show in Nielsen’s ratings top 5 educational show, Season 4 was conceived and executed with the same passion and clarity to deliver the message: WE are OK ONLY IF BIODIVERSITY IS OK.
MIND S-COOL TV Season 4 also makes use of imaginative set-designs and engaging science communication techniques, expertly honed by the team of the Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit science and art foundation that conceived and operates The Mind Museum, a science museum, and the BGC Arts Center.
USAID PHOTO from L to R: Rina Rosales, Natural Resources Management Specialist, USAID SIBOL Dr. Aldrin Mallari, Ecosystems Integration Specialist, USAID SIBOL Pecier Decierdo, Mind S-Cool TV Host and Content Writer John Piggott, Acting Director, USAID Philippines Office of the Environment Dr. Ernesto Guiang, SIBOL Chief of Party, USAID SIBOL Mikee Estorga, Mind S-Cool TV Host and Content Writer Marlito Guidote, Deputy Chief of Party, USAID SIBOL
“We may be splintered by many opinions in our politics and social lives BUT no one will survive without nature. There should be no debate about that if you live, breathe and eat. Our health and lives are literally at stake if we do not have a shared understanding of how our human lives are intricately connected with biodiversity – which is the way nature is structured and how it works to serve our lives. MIND S-COOL is our creative and concrete contribution to this vital understanding and we remain grateful for the USAID-SIBOL partnership to get this message across and hopefully imbibed by Filipino families.” says Maria Isabel Garcia, Managing Director and Curator of the BAFI.
With this new season of MIND S-COOL, SIBOL “hopes that the message of environmental conservation in oceans and landscapes facilitates a deeper understanding with a wider audience. We hope that they will value our biodiversity, oceans and landscapes and their inherent capacity to sustainably supply ecosystem services for their own benefit and the development of communities”, the project noted.
MIND S-COOL TV Premiere of Season 4 airs on Cignal TV’s ONE PH Ch.1 on June 26, Sunday, 11:00am and 4:30pm (Philippines). It can also be streamed on the Mind S-Cool YouTube channel.
ABOUT the BONIFACIO ART FOUNDATION, INC. (BAFI)
The Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc. is a non-stock, non-profit foundation that champions the arts and sciences in elevating community and national life. It conceived, created and operates The Mind Museum, the BGC Arts Center, the BGC public art program, and Mind S-Cool.
For over 10 years now, The Mind Museum is a self-sustaining, non-profit educational facility working to inspire solutions to real-world problems by initiating and bolstering science engagement in elevating aspects of individual, community and national life.
ABOUT USAID-SIBOL
Launched in 2020, the Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans, and Landscapes (SIBOL) is a P1.1-billion natural resources management and biodiversity conservation project of the United States Agency for International Development in partnership with RTI International. SIBOL works closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development. The Center for Conservation Innovations, Forest Foundation Philippines, Zoological Society of London, and the Resources, Environment and Economics Center for Studies, comprise the consortium partnering with RTI.
TO KNOW MORE, OR IF YOU WISH TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT MIND S-COOL AND THE OTHER PROJECTS OF THE BONIFACIO ART FOUNDATION, please send an inquiry to:
I just came from another event on preserving nature – and I think it’s great that so many people are involved in spreading the word around. I really would like to go and be involved in the actual action and looking for an opportunity that would fit our schedule.
Helping our nature is an important topic now. I feel so sad about the dirty ocean and destroyed forests. I hope this series will gain popularity!
This is such an important topic for all ages. Looking forward to the premiere in July!
I love to support projects like this. As someone who values biodiversity, I’d love to support non profit organizations like them.
Hhhhmmm….this looks to be a great project for conserving our earth. Thanks for sharing about it.
It is nice to learn that the cures for what ails the diversity are within reach. very informative to learn about it!
This is a good read. I hope many non-profit organizations will have this kind of initiative. Bringing awareness is a must and we need to be responsible citizens and take good care of our nature.