Learning science is taking a step beyond textbooks and classrooms with the opening of the Science Discovery Center at Anjo World Theme Park, billed as the first facility of its kind in the Visayas and Mindanao that combines interactive science exhibits with the experience of a theme park.
The facility in Minglanilla, Cebu, developed in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), aims to make science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) more engaging and accessible to young learners by allowing them to see, touch and experience scientific concepts firsthand.
Anjo World Theme Park President Chester Lim said the center was built on the belief that learning and enjoyment can go hand in hand.
‘Science goes beyond books and classrooms,’ Lim said, noting that the facility is designed to spark curiosity, encourage experimentation, and inspire children to think differently.
During the opening of the center on August 14, he said the goal is for students to leave the center not only with memories, but with questions and the confidence to explore and discover new things. ‘Today, we are not just opening an attraction; we are opening a door to curiosity, imagination, discovery, and possibility,’ Lim said.
DOST Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa Bien de Guzman said the center is particularly relevant to the education system because its exhibits are deliberately connected to classroom learning, including concepts under the Matatag curriculum.
She pointed out that the facility should not be viewed merely as another entertainment destination but as a learning space where children can discover concepts while enjoying.
‘Sometimes they really need to encounter something that will make them say, ‘This is very good. How did this happen? I would like to learn more about this,” de Guzman said partly in Filipino.
She encouraged parents and teachers to nurture such curiosity, saying a child’s growing questions are signs that their mind is expanding.
De Guzman also encouraged students to consider careers in engineering, science, and research, particularly those that could lead to technologies addressing problems faced by Filipinos.
She also promoted DOST’s Starbooks digital library, which provides STEM and other educational resources.
DOST Region-7 Director Tristan Abando described the opening as an exciting development for Central Visayas, particularly in efforts to raise a generation more inclined toward science, technology, and innovation.
He said the center provides an opportunity for students to experience science rather than simply read about it, consistent with DOST’s ‘Agham na Ramdam’ advocacy.
The facility includes interactive exhibits designed to make scientific concepts more tangible, including displays focused on disaster risk reduction and management.
Abando said the exhibits are especially important for Cebu, which is vulnerable to natural hazards.
Among the concepts that students can explore are earthquakes and other natural phenomena. Thus, an earthquake simulator is among the planned experiences, allowing learners to better understand what happens during disasters.
Abando said making disaster-related concepts easier to understand can help children remember lessons and become more prepared when actual emergencies occur.
‘If a disaster is our enemy, we need to keep them closer. We need to understand them better,’ he said.
He said the partnership with Anjo World is also significant because it represents a new model for DOST’s Science Central Project, with a private-sector partner providing a venue where science education can be integrated with recreation.
According to Abando, the partnership took about a year of meetings, coordination and discussions before it was launched. It had a soft launching on July 13 during the 2026 Regional Science, Technology and Innovation Week.
For Anjo World, the Science Discovery Center expands the theme park’s role from a weekend family destination into a venue where visitors can learn, experiment and explore.
The center is expected to welcome thousands of students. It is already receiving confirmed group bookings.
Lim urged students visiting the facility to remain curious, ask questions, experiment, fail and try again.
‘Ask ‘what if,’ because every discovery begets a question,’ he said.
For DOST and Anjo World, the ultimate goal is to make science less intimidating and more relatable to children-and potentially inspire the next generation of Filipino scientists, engineers, researchers, inventors and technology innovators.
‘Don’t forget to ask ‘why,’ and ‘what.’ Don’t be shy to ask questions,’ de Guzman reminded the students.