We Filipinos possess a distinctive sensibility toward nature, and while our art history has been profoundly shaped by Western traditions, many artists, writers, and filmmakers have worked to decolonize their gaze in order to unearth ways of seeing that are more closely attuned to our own identity. Among the many subjects explored by artists, our relationship with nature is especially vital. As a country abundant in flora, this richness has inevitably shaped our diwa, giving rise to reverence through stories about mountains, rivers and unseen spirits and entities that dwell within forests. It is customary, for instance, to say “Tabi tabi po,” so as to avoid disturbing these presences and inviting misfortune. In this light, our folk perception of nature stands in contrast to the Western tendency to frame it as something controlled or subdued. Yet, with the rise of modernization and the spread of globalized routines and cultures, this..
