Latest news with #MindSpark
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Science
- GMA Network
Largest science museum in PH opens in Parañaque, offers interactive STEM learning
The country's largest science museum, MindSpark, officially opened its doors on Tuesday, offering more than 100 interactive exhibits designed to ignite curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the launch, calling it a 'playground for the mind' and encouraging students to turn curiosity into innovations that can improve lives. The 9,000-square-meter facility at Ayala Malls Manila Bay features 30 themed rooms and hands-on learning zones, ranging from a walkthrough model of the human heart to AI-powered robotics demonstrations. Developed by the Philippine Amusement and Entertainment Corporation, MindSpark aims to complement classroom learning and inspire the next generation of Filipino scientists. In his keynote address, Angara said investing in young minds is essential to national progress, urging both students and teachers to make the most of the museum's resources. He cited the work of high school student Eisen Gabriel Francisco, whose eco-friendly solution against the coco-lisap pest in Basilan helped farmers and boosted the local economy, as an example of youth-driven innovation. Other attractions include a functioning hospital laboratory, large-scale anatomy displays, live insect life cycle exhibits, and interactive areas covering bubble science, fire safety, engineering design, and gemology. The museum also hosts guided tours and STEM-focused programs for schools and organizations nationwide. MindSpark is now open to the public, with its organizers hoping to make it a hub for exploration and discovery for learners of all ages. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
The Star
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Largest science museum in the Philippines opens to public
Angara leading the grand opening of MindSpark in Paranaque City on Aug 12, 2025. - Department of Education. MANILA: It's like 'Disneyland' for students fond of science. That was how Philippine Education Secretary Juan Edgardo 'Sonny' Angara described the newly opened MindSpark, which he said is the country's largest science museum. Leading the museum's grand opening on Tuesday (Aug 12), Angara expressed hopes of fostering greater curiosity and understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). MindSpark, a 9,000-square-metre facility at Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Paranaque City, will feature more than 100 interactive exhibits and 30 themed rooms dedicated to STEM, according to the Department of Education (DepEd). Organised by the Philippine Amusement and Entertainment Corp. (PAEC), the museum aims to serve as an 'extension' of classrooms and provide a 'simulated environment' for learners at all levels. PAEC is regarded as the country's largest creator and operator of educational and interactive indoor attractions, including the Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museo in Parañaque, Museum of Emotions in Cebu, Craft Academy, and Omniverse Museum, among others. 'I am happy because this helps in the education of our youth, and anything that helps that, we support it,' Angara said in his keynote speech. 'We have very rare museums, and many times I hear my friends complain, 'where do we take our kids on weekends?' There are no open spaces, there are very few things which enhance the mind, but now, we are seeing a renaissance,' he added. Angara also stressed that 'it's time we put the right things in the minds of our children,' noting the growing negative influence on young people, particularly from online sources. The opening of the new science museum also aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s recent State of the Nation Address, in which he said the government should 'reap the benefits' of science and technology. 'This is not just a commercial exercise, but for me, this is also an exercise of nation-building,' Angara said. Among the museum's attractions are a giant walkthrough of the human heart, a real-life hospital laboratory, anatomy displays, a moving depiction of an insect's life cycle, and interactive zones on bubble science, robotics, artificial intelligence, fire safety, engineering design, and gemology. 'We all know that even the smallest spark, whether from a simple experiment in a classroom, can inspire a student to have a Filipino-made invention that can even change the world,' Angara said. He also urged teachers to have MindSpark as a 'go-to venue' for exposure trips. 'For museums like this one, we can give our youth a direction to change and more ways for innovation not just inside their schools, but also through the community,' Angara said. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
