The People’s Museum of Climate Justice has opened its doors in Manila, the Philippines, featuring a collection of memories and mementos from climate survivors.
The museum was first located in Tacloban City, where it was part of the 10th-anniversary commemoration of Super Typhoon Yolanda, before moving to Manila as part of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior ship’s visit to the region.
It was co-created and co-curated with climate-impacted communities from Tacloban, Bohol, Metro Manila, and other vulnerable regions in the Philippines.
The exhibit features everyday tools, mementos, and significant items contributed by community members, each a vessel of stories recounting their encounters with extreme weather events and the profound impact of climate change on their lives.
“A museum is a bastion of memory—a collection of tangible and intangible artifacts that carry narratives and experiences of people, put forward to be immortalised,” said Mark Simbajon, a Super Typhoon Yolanda survivor who contributed to the exhibit.
“Each object of memory on display is not just a remnant of climate disasters. Behind them are stories that show the strength of the Filipinos,” said Greenpeace Philippines Campaigner Eunille Santos.
Through its exhibit in Manila, the People’s Museum of Climate Justice aims to bring these “abstract statistics” into human focus.
“People never forget, but people are also tired of always remembering,” added Santos.
“There needs to be something after remembering. This museum aims to show how remembering is not only recalling but doing something with that memory. In this case, it is collective climate action.”
Admission to the People’s Museum of Climate Justice is free, and visitors can register online at act.gp/shiptour2023manila.
