AI in Education
Document Type
Paper presentation
School Name
De La Salle Univesity Integrated School
School Code
ARCH00074
Abstract / Executive Summary
Kain na! Mangaon ta! or Kaon ta! is a typical Filipino phrase inviting others to eat—an everyday gesture, seemingly ordinary yet reflecting deep Filipino cultural identity. In an era of rapidly evolving AI, concerns arise over cultural homogenization and the amplification of biases, prompting UNESCO to call for ethical stewardship of cultural heritage. This study emphasizes food as a vital yet often underappreciated medium of cultural transmission. Preserving Filipino food is essential to sustaining national identity. Although AI can perform complex operations, it cannot replicate the uniquely human aesthetic experience of food. Filipino food, therefore, stands as cultural heritage or pamana (legacy) in the face of global change. Drawing from Carolyn Korsmeyer’s philosophy of food and Nelson Goodman’s symbol theory in art, this paper critiques Western frameworks that undervalue food’s aesthetic meaning. While Korsmeyer focused on taste, this study broadened the scope by integrating the “chemical senses”—alongside sight and sound—to affirm the multisensory aesthetics of food. Flavor is presented not as a purely subjective experience but as a cultural signifier embedded in history, geography, and tradition. Filipino cuisine is positioned as a dynamic expression of identity, rich with symbolic meaning. Despite this, food’s role in cultural education is often overlooked. This paper calls for its intentional inclusion in curricula to foster cultural literacy and ensure intergenerational continuity of Filipino food heritage.
Keywords:
artificial intelligence; pamana (legacy); cultural transmission; aesthetic experience; Filipino food
Kain Na! The Aesthetic Experience of Filipino Food as a Practical Cultural Heritage (Pamana)
Kain na! Mangaon ta! or Kaon ta! is a typical Filipino phrase inviting others to eat—an everyday gesture, seemingly ordinary yet reflecting deep Filipino cultural identity. In an era of rapidly evolving AI, concerns arise over cultural homogenization and the amplification of biases, prompting UNESCO to call for ethical stewardship of cultural heritage. This study emphasizes food as a vital yet often underappreciated medium of cultural transmission. Preserving Filipino food is essential to sustaining national identity. Although AI can perform complex operations, it cannot replicate the uniquely human aesthetic experience of food. Filipino food, therefore, stands as cultural heritage or pamana (legacy) in the face of global change. Drawing from Carolyn Korsmeyer’s philosophy of food and Nelson Goodman’s symbol theory in art, this paper critiques Western frameworks that undervalue food’s aesthetic meaning. While Korsmeyer focused on taste, this study broadened the scope by integrating the “chemical senses”—alongside sight and sound—to affirm the multisensory aesthetics of food. Flavor is presented not as a purely subjective experience but as a cultural signifier embedded in history, geography, and tradition. Filipino cuisine is positioned as a dynamic expression of identity, rich with symbolic meaning. Despite this, food’s role in cultural education is often overlooked. This paper calls for its intentional inclusion in curricula to foster cultural literacy and ensure intergenerational continuity of Filipino food heritage.
