Stem Up Year 4 Culminates in a Physical Event

                                                                                                          by: Mr. Victor Tubilan

The partnership program between Pasay City South High School and TELSTRA Philippines Foundation through Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) has progressed to its fourth year of helping STEM students to develop and enhance their research skills. The STEM UP Year 4 culminated last June 24, 2022, in a physical event after two successive years of holding the celebration virtually. The event was graced by some of the significant people from the SDO Pasay City, represented by Dr. Loreta B. Torrecampo, CESO IV, Schools Division Superintendent, Telstra Philippines President, Mr. Benjamin Romualdez, and PBSP Executive Director Mr. Elvin Ivan Uy. Parents of the STEM students were also present as well as some of the alumni of the STEM UP projects in the previous years.

Aside from physically holding the activity, this year’s concluding program of the STEM UP project is different from the three previous years.  Parents who arrived as early as 7:00 o’clock in the morning were invited to participate in the program and got a chance to witness their child’s Science Investigatory Research output presentation with the VIPs and volunteers from Telstra and PBSP. Another notable part of the program was the presence of some alumnae from STEM UP Year 2 project who is already patent holders, have graced the event and gave their inspirational testimonies on how they were able to attain such achievement during their senior high school years as STEM students. In the one-hour program held at the school gymnasium, Mrs. Emilia L. Tolentino expressed her gratitude to Telstra Philippines Foundation, PBSP, and SDO Pasay for their continuous support of the school even during the very challenging time of the pandemic.

Before the highlight of the program- the awarding of winners, an interactive quiz bee entitled “Are you Smarter Than a High Schooler’ was held. It was participated by students, and Telstra & PBSP volunteers. The team of Isaiah Jendric B. Dehesa (STEM student) and Mr. Benjamin Romualdez, Telstra Philippines president emerged as the champion. This was followed by the awarding of winners of the STEM UP 4 research project entries. Of the eighteen research projects submitted, a special Social Media Award was given to the project with the highest number of likes and reactions from PBSP and Telstra volunteers. The research entry entitled “Pulverized Asian Green Mussel’s Shell (Perna veridis) as Partial Aggregate in Concrete Cement Production” by Isiah Jendric Dehesa, Mary Abigail Juz, Venice Joy Junco was adjudged First Place in this year’s STEM UP research project. Finalists from Group 17: Raven B. Lescano, Bianca Eunice R. Ramos, Mylene C. Gajelomo, and Jemmerson Mikhail H. Balmocina and Group 7: Cajano Erick Paul N., Terrazola, Nathaniel, Insular, Mark Anthony have placed 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.

The event concluded with the enjoyment of a delicious, packed lunch courtesy of Telstra Philippines foundation and PBSP.