Ang Gubat ang Guro: Forming Ecological Citizens Through a Filipino Practice of Forest Bathing

The Japanese concept of "Shinrin-yoku" is an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and a reaffirmation of Japanese culture, rooted in reverence for nature and Zen aesthetics. The team of Ang Gubat ang Guro seeks to craft a similar ecological response that is rooted in the Filipino experience, reflects Filipino anxieties and aspirations, and draws from Filipino resources. Their proposal is about developing modules based on the concept of the forest, drawing from research of history, literature, popular culture, and folk and organized religion as practiced by Filipinos.

When one searches the internet for “forest bathing” one will find “shinrin-yoku”, a Japanese term for “eco-antidote to the tech-boom burnout" which emerged in the 1980s. It became popular for its physiological benefits that inspired residents to reconnect with and protect the country’s forests.

Similarly, trees and forests have always played a big role in Indian culture and mythology. India’s national poet Rabindranath Tagore shared in an interview how “India is distinctive because we have treated the forest as our teacher.”

Filipinos in urban congested areas are suffering from stress, burn-out, and mental health issues and need the many benefits of forest bathing. Ang Gubat ang Guro seeks to craft an ecological response that looks to the forest and to do so in a way that is rooted in the Filipino experience, that reflects Filipino anxieties and aspirations, and draws from Filipino resources.

Ang Gubat Ang Guro aims to develop two sets of outputs: (1) conceptualize forest-based activities meant for synchronous sessions held in green spaces, gardens, and forests. These activities will be inspired by forest bathing practices elsewhere but will be suitably re-worked to reflect a Filipino approach; (2) develop a set of materials for asynchronous learning, short videos, infographics, posters, and texts that capture the teachings of Philippine forests. ​