The Unilab Foundation Olympiad Recognition Night was conducted to recognize the honor brought to our country by the outstanding performances of Filipino learners in various International Olympiads. The event took place on October 27, 2022 at the Bayanihan Center, Pioneer St., Pasig City. Present were student participants and coaches of the following international competitions:
International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), International Biology Olympiad (IBO), International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), and International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics
(IOAA). Responding to the Filipino students lagging behind other countries in science and math in the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA), the Foundation continues to implement learner engagement activities to improve the quality and access of learners to STEM resources and advocates for more young people to pursue a STEM career. Mrs. Lilibeth Aristorenas, Executive Director of the Unilab Foundation and Mrs. Nanette Aguas, Chief of Human Resources Officer and Head of People, Learning and Culture of the United Laboratories Inc., graced the event to show their support for the student delegates.

In her Welcome Remarks, Director Aristorenas stressed that STEM is crucial in every sector of society. “We strive to strengthen STEM education and workforce development through the mainstreaming of integrated STEM in the Philippines. In your presence, we are motivated and
empowered to learn more about how we can be better champions for STEM, do more with the available resources we have, and further support and nurture brilliant minds.” Despite being unable to physically attend, Vice President of the Philippines and Department of Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte also showed her support for the event in a video message.
“As our STEM champions, you play a vital role in pushing for a thriving STEM community and encouraging more students, especially women, to pursue advanced degrees and careers in
STEM fields.” VP Sara ends her message with a challenge: “Let us work together to achieve our goal of becoming a knowledge-based economy,”
Student delegates Raphael Dylan Dalida of the IMO and IOI, and Chiara Bernadette Z. Tan-Gatue of the IBO shared their experiences during their respective contests. “I really appreciate these kinds of systems and programs in order for STEM subjects to be attained dito sa Pilipinas
and that’s something that I am really thankful for,” Dalida shares in his testimony. In closing, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum posed an
inspirational challenge: “As you receive your recognition tonight, may you also be reminded that STEM is also a service to humanity. Learning it is the first step in making it all worthwhile. Keep moving forward with determination and many wonderful things are in store for you in the future. No matter how high or how far you have accomplished, always remember to keep your feet on the ground.”

For more information, please contact Isabel Monasterio, Project Assistant Manager, STEM+ PH, e-mail: isabel.monasterio@unilabfoundation.org.

For the third year since 2019, leaders from the government, academe, industry and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) community will converge for a three-day 3rd Integrated STEM Leadership Summit and launch of MIT Global Opportunity Initiative in Southeast Asia on November 3-5, 2022 in Mandaluyong City with the theme: Building a High-Income Nation through a skilled STEM talent pipeline and Robust Ecosystem.

The Unilab Foundation collaborates with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Open Learning and Global Opportunity Initiative (MIT-GOI), and the United States STEM Leadership Alliance in convening the event.

The summit will provide a platform for industry and education leaders, and policymakers to build robust ecosystems and empower the learners and workforce, converge sectors to develop holistic and innovative solutions, and catalyze trans-disciplinary dialogues among organizations to formulate transformative policies. Some 100 in-person participants and over 2,000 virtual attendees from the Philippines and overseas are expected to participate in discussions on various topics including research, initiatives, curriculum models, case studies, education frameworks during the various sessions of the Summit.

Notable speakers include Dr. George Westerman, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and founder of the Global Opportunity Initiative; and Kelli List Wells, the Founder and CEO of the STEM Leadership Alliance, which includes major STEM organizations, NASA, and the White House Office.

In a report on the Philippine Jobs and Workforce into the Future by the Makati Business Club, there is a growing jobs mismatch. Studies point to three factors as the main causes: (1) weak labour market information system; (2) inadequate training; and (3) weak support for science and technology. To be competitive, the Philippines needs policies that recognize new forms of work and patterns of employment. There is a need to equip current and future workforce with next-generation skillset, and it is critical to have policies and regulations that support next-generation work environments in terms of technology, automation, and work flexibility.

And as evidenced by a study commissioned by the Unilab Foundation Inc. and conducted by the Asian Institute of Management in 2022, in the constantly evolving job market, companies have seen evident changes in the minimum skills and capabilities required to accommodate, or at the minimum, pace with the rapid advancement of technologies and business models.  Jobs involving the Science, Technology, and Engineering (STEM) strand are projected to play a large part in this advancement and are believed to be where the greatest need for intervention exists. However, the lack thereof or the infancy of current Labor Market Intelligence systems within the country have yet to measure this skill gap between educational offerings and commercial demands while some legacy systems refuse to transform or evolve to accommodate these changes.

The Summit will serve as a venue to respond to the recommendations of the study which includes reevaluating the current curriculum to reflect the emerging needs of the market, and honing the skills required by evolving jobs. It is expected to create a collaborative learning space where leaders of different sectors of society and policymakers come together and engage in trans-disciplinary dialogues to formulate holistic, sustainable, and systemic solutions at the nexus of education, health, economy, environment, arts, and culture.

To contribute to this collaborative learning space, we are launching at the event the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Alliance Program, a partnership between Unilab and the United States Agency for International Development. The program seeks to create a pipeline of highly skilled and adaptive (learning) workforce who meet the evolving requirements of the advanced manufacturing sector, through better-defined, harmonized skills and qualifications descriptors, competency, and training standards.

Further, the Unilab Foundation and the Philippine Business for Education (PBED) entered a partnership for the latter’s A Future that Works (AFW) project specifically for the Healthcare Sector. There will be a panel discussion to focus on the strategic healthcare workforce education.  

The events are co-organized with the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED), the Center for Integrated STEM Education (CISTEM), and the STEM Leadership Alliance PH. It is supported by the Philippine Business for Education (PBED), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Austrian Embassy. Corporate sponsors include C&E Publishing, Inc., Emerson and Pilipinas Shell. 

Details of the Summit

The first day of the Summit will focus on Navigating Industry Challenges and Approaches to Workforce Learning and Career Pathing. The second day will shift to Illuminating the Frontiers of Integrated STEM in Action. The third day will concentrate on Opening Up Initiatives and Policies for Developing a Skilled STEM Talent Pipeline.  

The STEM Summit also highlights the MIT Global Opportunity Initiative Launch in Southeast Asia. This launch will provide the workforce with learning opportunities that will help them prosper in a rapidly changing economy. These integrated efforts among Southeast Asian and global leaders intend to develop and embody a more holistic approach to improving the quality of education and workforce and building a STEM-skilled talent pipeline in a high-income nation.

To know more about the event, please visit stemsummitasia.org. To find out about our distinguished speakers from the USA, Austria, and the Philippines, please visit stemsummitasia.org/3rd-summit-speakers. For references and video materials, please visit stemsummitasia.org/resources.

For more information, please contact Melvin Magsayo, Deputy Director, Center for Integrated STEM Education, e-mail mtmagsayo@cistem.ph.