Bridging cultural heritage, environmental awareness, and holistic formation, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU), through Ateneo Zamboanga-Mindanao Institute (AZMI), made waves on March 18, 2026, with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the National Museum of the Philippines and the launching of “Lives Across the Water: Portraits of the Southwestern Philippines,” a Maritime Ecopoetics that binds art, ecology, and cultural memory together as expressions of integral formation.
Held at the Function Hall of the National Museum of the Philippines – Zamboanga, the MOA signed by University President Fr Ernald M Andal SJ, and National Museum of the Philippines OIC Director II Ms Marianathe Kay F Misa, with AdZU Executive Assistant to the President Atty Armee Jay L Cresmundo CPA, serving as witness, formalizes the 2026–2028 partnership that supports programs such as the Maritime Ecopoetics Workshop and Once Upon a Workshop storytelling sessions.
In his message, University President Fr Ernald underscored the deeper purpose of the collaboration, grounding it in both gratitude and forward-looking commitment: “As we sign this agreement, we do so with gratitude and with hope. Hope that this partnership will keep opening minds. Hope that it will sharpen responsibility. Hope that our students and communities will come away with a stronger sense that heritage deserves care, and that our common home deserves tenderness as well as discipline.”
Echoing this spirit of shared purpose, Ms Misa highlighted the partnership as a collective journey rooted in education and the Jesuit ideal of excellence: “We are anchoring a partnership built on a shared vision for education and our community of learners. In the Jesuit tradition of Magis, we seek to do more, be more, and reach further—and we know that we reach furthest when we sail together.”
Building on the success of its first installation, AZMI’s second Maritime Ecopoetics installment brought learning beyond the classroom into lived, experiential contexts. Guided by Laudato Si’ and the Kikigaki method, the exhibition explored maritime life as both ecological reality and cultural inheritance. Workshops in visual arts, poetry, and performance encouraged participants to engage in reflective storytelling inspired by field encounters with the Simariki community. The resulting works, now housed at the Creative Hub of the National Museum, elevate often-marginalized voices into compelling narratives of identity, resilience, and care for creation.
Beyond a display of art, the event embodies AdZU’s mission of forming persons for and with others. By opening its Laudato Si’ initiatives to the public through accessible, community-rooted art, the university positions itself as both an academic institution and a cultural catalyst in Mindanao. AZMI’s Maritime Ecopoetics grounds education in reality—where culture, ecology, and creativity converge, and where integral formation finds its fullest expression.
More photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ziT6DLD2M2o6mXHX7