Sarikulay

Sarikulay Sarikulay is an initiative of UP ECOSYSTEMSS.

It takes the form of an immersive activity book fostering environmentalism in children by exploring local biodiversity.

14/07/2026

Protect VIP calls for justice in brutal killing of marine scientist Dr. Kent Carpenter

The Protect Verde Island Passage (Protect VIP) campaign network on Tuesday raised alarm over the killing of Dr. Kent E. Carpenter, a globally renowned marine scientist whose life's work transformed the understanding of the Philippines' oceans and named the Verde Island Passage (VIP) as the "Center of the Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiversity."

According to reports, Dr. Carpenter was shot and killed by three armed men who forcibly entered his home in Negros Oriental.

"Dr. Kent Carpenter dedicated his life to revealing the extraordinary richness of the Verde Island Passage to the world. His work reminded us that the Philippines carries a global responsibility to protect this irreplaceable marine treasure,” said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP.

“We grieve with the loved ones of Dr. Carpenter and the whole marine conservation community in the face of this terrible loss. We also urge authorities to ensure justice and conduct a thorough investigation into this crime. At the same time, we stand anew in solidarity with the call for the protection of environmental defenders who dedicate their lives to science, conservation, and the protection of our common home and of vulnerable communities,” he said.

“As we mourn his passing, we reaffirm our commitment to the cause that Dr. Carpenter championed: protecting the Verde Island Passage and all of our country’s biodiverse ecosystems and all communities who defend and rely on them.”

Having dedicated much of his life to the Philippines since the 1970s, Dr. Carpenter was a steadfast ally of Filipino coastal communities, researchers, and conservationists who have worked tirelessly to protect one of the planet's most biodiverse marine ecosystems. Dr. Carpenter also stood with the Protect VIP campaign as one of its fellow advocates. In 2024, he lent his voice and expertise to our collective call to secure stronger and lasting protection of the VIP, including its recognition as a national marine protected area and an important natural heritage.

Justice for Dr. Kent E. Carpenter!

(Photo from Old Dominion University)

𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗸𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗮 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴...
18/02/2025

𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗸𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗮 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲

On February 8, 2025, the UP ECOSYSTEMSS successfully implemented The Sarikulay Project under the 2.0 Program of the Foundation for the Philippine Environment, in partnership with YGOAL Inc.

To introduce the marine species of the Verde Island Passage (VIP) featured in Sarikulay, select ECOSS resident members performed a puppet show that starred a girl named Sari, who noticed the environmental consequences of human activities and led actions to protect the said species. 👧💙

Around 80 elementary pupils from Soloc Elementary School received a copy of “Sarikulay sa Verde Island Passage” and engaged in an immersive coloring activity. 🧒🖍





🌊🎨 𝗜𝗧'𝗦 𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗬'𝗦 𝗗-𝗗𝗔𝗬 ✨🎉𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘧𝘴, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 🪸🐟🐢 𝘋𝘰𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, the 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚...
08/02/2025

🌊🎨 𝗜𝗧'𝗦 𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗬'𝗦 𝗗-𝗗𝗔𝗬 ✨🎉

𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘧𝘴, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 🪸🐟🐢 𝘋𝘰𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, the 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 (VIP) is filled with wonders. Of course, we won't let them sink!

Sarikulay is now o-fish-ally splashing into action, bringing the marineficent biodiversity of VIP 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗰 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗯𝗼, 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝘀 through storytelling, illustrations, and hands-on activities.

For us to sea the Verde Island Passage in all its glory, let's dive deeper into the species thriving in it. Here's an exciting question we've prepared for you. Share your answers as comments below!

🔍Question of the day: This type of seaweed is commonly found in waters. It is edible and very prominent in Philippine cuisine. What’s the name of this seaweed?

Together, let's explore our species, wave goodbye to habitat loss, and paint our future bright 💚 Be a current of inspiration by sharing our social media page!



🌊🎨 𝟭 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗢 𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗟 𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗬! 🐠✨The countdown is almost over! Tomorrow, 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐲 will make waves at 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐜 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 ...
07/02/2025

🌊🎨 𝟭 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗢 𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗟 𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗬! 🐠✨

The countdown is almost over! Tomorrow, 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐲 will make waves at 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐜 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐛𝐨, 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐬! Get ready to dive into a day of fun, creativity, and environmental conservation discussions as we explore the vibrant world of marine life through art, stories, and hands-on activities 📖

To keep the excitement going, here is today’s Question of the Day! 💡 Drop your answers in the comments below‼️📢

🔍 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲: The featured marine animal in this year’s Sarikulay cover is locally called?

Let’s paint a brighter future for our oceans. Join us by supporting our social media page as we embark on this new journey! 🌱✨ See you soon!



𝙎𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙆𝙐𝙇𝘼𝙔 𝙃𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙎 🌱🎨𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐤! 🌊🎉𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗼, the burrowing urchin, and 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗸, th...
07/02/2025

𝙎𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙆𝙐𝙇𝘼𝙔 𝙃𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙎 🌱🎨

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐤! 🌊🎉

𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗼, the burrowing urchin, and 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗸, the latigo fairy wrasse, are important species that can be found in our coral ecosystems. The burrowing sea urchin is unique in that it is a bioeroder! It helps in maintaining the health of coral reefs by ensuring that there is always room for new corals to grow. Meanwhile, the latigo fairy wrasse helps in making sure that what coral is there is able to grow properly. They do so by cleaning organic debris that accumulates in coral reefs!

Through the Sarikulay project, we highlight the beauty of marine life and inspire communities to safeguard their natural habitat. Let’s come together to cherish and protect the incredible biodiversity of our oceans—one species, one story, and one splash of color at a time! 🌈✨



🌱🎨 𝟮 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗟𝗘𝗙𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗟 𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗬! 🐠✨We’re just two days away from bringing the magic of 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗸𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗰 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼...
06/02/2025

🌱🎨 𝟮 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗟𝗘𝗙𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗟 𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗬! 🐠✨

We’re just two days away from bringing the magic of 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗸𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗰 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗯𝗼, 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝘀! Get ready for a fun-filled day of creativity, learning, and environmental awareness as we explore the wonders of marine life through art, stories, and interactive activities.

We’ve also prepared an exciting question to challenge your curiosity 💚 Share your answers in the comments below! 📢

🔍 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲: If the Philippines is the Center of Marine Biodiversity in the world and Verde Island Passage is the "Center of the Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiversity", where can we find the Verde Island Passage?

Let’s color, discover, and protect our marine ecosystems together 🎨🌿 See you soon!



𝙎𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙆𝙐𝙇𝘼𝙔 𝙃𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙎 🌱🎨𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐨! 🌊✨𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴, the striped eel catfish, and 𝗟𝗮𝘁...
05/02/2025

𝙎𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙆𝙐𝙇𝘼𝙔 𝙃𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙎 🌱🎨

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐨! 🌊✨

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴, the striped eel catfish, and 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗼, the vibrant sea grape, may seem like simple marine species, but they play crucial roles in our coastal ecosystems. Sumbilang helps maintain the balance of underwater food chains, while Lato provides food and livelihood for many coastal communities.

Through the Sarikulay project, we celebrate these marine species and inspire communities to protect their home 🏠. Whether through storytelling, interactive activities, or our illustrations for children, Sarikulay makes learning about conservation a hands-on, engaging experience.

Let’s celebrate and protect the rich biodiversity of our marine ecosystem—one species, one story, and one stroke of color at a time! 🎨🖌️✨



𝙶𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚄𝙿 𝙴𝙲𝙾𝚂𝚈𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙼𝚂𝚂 𝚂𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚔𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝! 🌱Sarikulay is a 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, creating...
04/02/2025

𝙶𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚄𝙿 𝙴𝙲𝙾𝚂𝚈𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙼𝚂𝚂 𝚂𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚔𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝! 🌱

Sarikulay is a 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, creating immersive community experiences promoting the protection and conservation of the environment among and beyond its members. Through its illustrations 🖼️, stories from local communities 👥, and educational content 📚, Sarikulay educates and empowers children to become stewards of their environment.

This project was first established in 2019 and has continued to evolve throughout the years, offering a more immersive educational experience by including more educational content with teach-ins 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧. 🌿🧑‍🧒‍🧒

For this year’s installment, Sarikulay highlights a specific marine area in the Philippines, the 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞. VIP is the center of global shore-fish biodiversity 🐠, providing livelihood to millions of Filipinos. The book will feature mostly marine species found in VIP and inform the children regarding the conservation status of the featured species.

This coming 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, elementary pupils from Grades 4 and 5 in Soloc Elementary School in Lobo, Batangas will receive Sarikulay kits. Stay tuned for more updates and witness this initiative raise awareness about our endemic biodiversity! 💚


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