DFA Celebrates MANA Mo 2022 by Calling for Action to Address Marine Plastic Pollution
02 September 2022 – In celebration of the Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANA Mo) this September, the Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office (MOAO), features the art installation of “Giant Dandelions: Recycled Plastic Light Art Installation” which is made of recycled plastic, to highlight the need for collective action to address the negative impact of marine plastic pollution, and work towards Sustainable Development Goal 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, specifically SDG 14.1 – Reduce marine pollution
MANA Mo has been celebrated every year since 2017, when President Duterte signed Proclamation No. 316 declaring every ninth month of the year as “Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month” or MANA Mo to raise awareness on the country's vast maritime domains and its potentials among Filipinos. This year’s MANA Mo theme approved by the National Coast Watch Center, is “Our Seas, Our Livelihood, Our Life Source: A Whole-of-Nation Approach Towards Raising Maritime and Ocean Awareness”.
In addition to this overall theme, the DFA has also adopted the sub-theme “Philippines as an Archipelagic State: UNCLOS @ 40” to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the signing of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
The Giant Dandelion installation is the first of several activities for the month of September. Created by artist Olivia d’Aboville, the installation features flowers in 160 cm to 210 cm high, arranged to resemble dandelion heads made from approximately 5,000 recycled water bottles cut and connected to one another by nylon weave and each flower is lit by a white LED bulb. By using recycled plastic materials for the art installation, the project aims to raise awareness on marine environmental pollution and eco-friendly sustainable development. It will highlight PH efforts to address plastic waste management, including its support for a global legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.
Ms. d’Aboville is a French-Filipino artist who graduated with honors from Duperré, a prestigious Textile Design school in Paris in 2009, specializing in tapestry and textile structures and adapted the techniques to create her own woven forms. She tries to raise awareness of the importance of preserving the biodiversity of our seas. has exhibited in museums, galleries, hotels and festivals in Paris, Lyon, Hong Kong, Manila, NY and Singapore. Her works range from textile jewelry, to sculptures, to lighting designs and installation art.
The art installation will be on display at the center island of the Department’s roundabout from 02 – 30 September 2022. END
