Digging for Purple Gold : Ube in the Philippine Deep History (A Hybrid Lecture )

What lies beneath the soil is not just a root crop, but a story that stretches across centuries, cultures, and coastlines.
Join us for “Digging for Purple Gold: Ube in the Philippine Deep History”, a special hybrid lecture that explores the cultural, historical, and climate dimensions of one of the Philippines’ most iconic crops—ube (purple yam).

This event is co-presented by Sandbox Co-Lab, ILI, Areté at Ateneo, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (DSA), and the Dr. Rosita G. Leong School of Social Sciences, in collaboration with the Coastal Cities at Risk in the Philippines (CCARPH) project.

🌱 Why “Purple Gold”?
Ube is more than a culinary sensation—it is a living symbol of Filipino heritage, agricultural adaptation, and food security. This lecture will unearth the roots of ube in our shared past while connecting it to present-day challenges like climate change and sustainable farming.

🎙️ Speakers & Panelists
Dr. Alfred Pawlik
Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, RGL-SOSS - Ateneo de Manila University

Hon. Marie Yvette Banzon Abalos
Consul General, Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Ma. Isabel Ongpin
Columnist, The Manila Times

Dr. Fernando N. Zialcita
Director, Cultural Heritage Studies Program, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, RGL-SOSS - Ateneo de Manila University
(on ube and Filipino cultural imagination)

👥 Convenors
Dr. Tanya Uldin
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, RGL-SOSS -
Ateneo de Manila University

Emma E. Porio, PhD
Project Leader & Principal Investigator, Coastal Cities at Risk in the Philippines (CCARPH)
Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology and Anthropology - RGL-SOSS -
Ateneo de Manila University

📲 Join the Conversation
This event is part of ongoing efforts to bridge climate resilience, cultural heritage, and community knowledge. Whether you're joining us on-site at Areté or tuning in online, you're invited to take part in this interdisciplinary exploration.

📌 Scan the QR codes on the event poster to register or learn more about CCARPH and its partners.

Let’s dig deeper. Let’s dig for purple gold.