SoMA Students Showcase Real Projects, Real Learning with European Embassies

True to Asia Pacific College’s commitment to its slogan ‘Real Projects, Real Learning,’ Multimedia Arts Students from the School of Multimedia and Arts (SoMA) showcased their project-based learning (PBL) outputs in partnership with the Embassy of Finland and Embassy of Belgium. 

Asia Pacific College’s Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an educational approach that centers on students engaging in real world projects to gain knowledge and skills.  

Among these PBL projects are #ProjectAffinity, which was spearheaded by the Finnish Embassy in Manila. The social media initiative developed by third year Multimedia Arts students aimed to promote Finland’s commitment to UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

To materialize the Embassy of Finland’s plans to disseminate information on recycling, repurposing, use of renewable energy, the Multimedia Arts students created the Finnish Mascot Ilo, inspired by the Finnish word for ‘joy’. The mascot served as a figure aiming to inspire and educate Filipinos on adopting sustainable lifestyles. 

Multimedia Arts Students from Asia Pacific College’s School of Multimedia and Arts (SoMA) created the mascot Ilo the Finnish Spitz as a part of their social media campaign for the Embassy of Finland. The social media campaign is an example of Asia Pacific College’s Project-Based Learning (PBL) outputs, which allows students to learn beyond traditional classroom education through real world projects.
Multimedia Arts students pose for a photograph with Veela Kaarela and Tuuli Pulkkinen from the Embassy of Finland. The students initiated a social media campaign in May 2023 to create marketing collaterals for the Embassy.
Multimedia Arts students Joseph Obsenada and Carlos Miguel Ruiz hold a virtual meeting with Clewat’s Chief Commercial Officer Marko Kärkkäinen. Clewat is a Finnish-based cleantech company which gears towards resolving sustainability issues such as plastic pollution and oil spills.
Mutlimedia Arts students, along with PBL Instructor Ryan Joseph Sy, APC President Dr. Teresita Medado, and School of Multimedia and Arts Executive Director pose for a photograph with the Embassy of Finland’s Ambassador Juha Pyyko during a gathering last January 19, 2024.

The Multimedia Arts students have also previously worked with the Embassy of Belgium last 2023. Dubbed as ‘Rising Stars of Philippine Agriculture Exports’, the social media campaign highlighted local crops such as pili, cacao, ube, and calamansi. These products, which are well-known and used in the Philippines on a day-to-day basis but uncommon in Europe, have a growing consumer base in countries like Belgium.  

In March 2023, Multimedia Arts students worked with the Embassy of Belgium on a social media campaign promoting local produce in the Philippines that have a huge potential in international exports. The students created characters named Eba (ube), Mang Philip (calamansi), Manny (calamansi), and Kikoy, Kikay, and Kikuy (cacao) to highlight the potential of these local products.

To entice European consumers and potentially pivot import of these products from the Philippines, students created mascots aptly named Eba (representing ube), Mang Philip (representing pili), Manny (representing calamansi), and Kikoy, Kikay, and Kikuy (representing a triplet of cacao pods) as a part of the social media campaign, followed by a convention held in Brussels, Belgium last April 2023. 

The Rising Stars of Philippine Agriculture Exports campaign was launched along the Philippine Food Festival in Brussels, Belgium last April 2023, where locals had a taste of Philippine-made products.
The Rising Stars of Philippine Agriculture Exports campaign was launched along the Philippine Food Festival in Brussels, Belgium last April 2023, where locals had a taste of Philippine-made products.
The Rising Stars of Philippine Agriculture Exports campaign was launched along the Philippine Food Festival in Brussels, Belgium last April 2023, where locals had a taste of Philippine-made products.
The Rising Stars of Philippine Agriculture Exports campaign was launched along the Philippine Food Festival in Brussels, Belgium last April 2023, where locals had a taste of Philippine-made products.
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This year, PBL Instructor Ryan Joseph Sy and SoMA’s Multimedia Arts students are exploring the possibility of working with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in another venture on APC’s Project-Based Learning program.