LOS BAÑOS, Laguna (PIA) — The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has launched the Explore ASEAN Knowledge Hub, a comprehensive digital resource center aimed at fostering environmental education, collaboration, and awareness across Southeast Asia.
The Knowledge Hub is the first high-technology, interactive physical learning resource center located at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. It provides immersive learning experiences to promote the ACB, the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme, and other regional conservation efforts.
ACB’s Program Department Director Clarissa Arida emphasized that their goal is to enhance public understanding of the region’s rich biodiversity while supporting researchers, policymakers, educators, and conservationists in their work to protect Southeast Asia’s unique ecosystems.
“We have launched this Learning Resource Center because we wanted to reach out more to the general public. Also, since we are situated at the University of the Philippines, we wanted our students to know more about biodiversity and the work we are doing at the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity,” Arida said.
To make the platform not just a repository of information but a vibrant space for education, participation, and advocacy, the Knowledge Hub includes interactive displays, motion games, virtual reality, and augmented reality features to enhance user engagement and involvement in environmental conservation.
Arida added that the ACB actively partners with the local government of Los Baños and other Philippine government agencies to further strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts in the region and disseminate information about the environmental knowledge hub.
“The Municipality of Los Baños has been our partner for a long time, and we wanted to reach out to them. Since we are here in Laguna, we also wanted to reach out to the provincial government and to regional offices, like the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health. These are all interconnected—health, agriculture, biodiversity, and tourism. Our ASEAN Heritage Parks, such as the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, serve as a hub here in Laguna,” Arida explained.
As part of their efforts to promote the interactive hub, the ACB has enhanced its presence on social media to reach a broader audience, particularly students and younger generations, by sharing engaging content that highlights the Knowledge Hub’s modern and dynamic features.
ACB’s Explore ASEAN Knowledge Hub aligns with the broader goals of the ASEAN Biodiversity Strategic Plan, which emphasizes the need for better education and increased public awareness to drive conservation action.
The hub is expected to play a crucial role in supporting the ASEAN region’s commitments to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to biodiversity conservation, climate action, and partnerships. (AM/PIA-4A)
