Best known for its enigmatic dome-like chocolate hills that change color with the seasons; its pristine white-sand beaches, heavenly waterfalls, freshwater springs, rivers, and mangrove orchards that show the sensational and vibrant marine life, Bohol is one of the best places to visit in the Philippines and, as it turns out, one of the best to learn science, too.
With its abundance of natural wonders, the echoes of science resound in Bohol, which explains exactly why it’s a great destination for travelers who want to go on a science side trip.
For the first time, the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) brought three of its flagship science promotional programs to the island province, immersing hundreds of young Boholanos to an enriching and fun-filled science adventure.
First was the Climate Science Youth Camp, which seeks to promote oceanography and meteorology as a field of study and as a career for the new generation. Letting students experience science by allowing them to interact with nature, this project propounds that exposure to environmental science can help the youth understand the dynamics of the ocean and the atmosphere and infer the effects of climate change to earth systems.
In this camp, scientists and researchers gathered to give students and teachers a close-up glimpse of nature and provided them with first-hand training on how to take care of the environment.
Interactive STEM learning
Next up was the nuLab: STEM in Motion—a mobile interactive learning facility that features exciting hands-on learning through fun and easy science activities. It has served hundreds of Filipino students from several municipalities nationwide, traveling to different provinces across the country to teach various modules in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Equipped with a huge interactive board, individual monitors for students, laboratory-grade equipment, and wireless sensors, nuLab offers a modern mobile learning environment that can help pique students’ interest in the sciences.
Driving both these science promotion initiatives is the project dubbed “#Push4Science: Maging DOST Scholar Ka”, which engages municipalities without S&T Scholars through a massive communication campaign that promotes the DOST-SEI Undergraduate S&T Scholarships and inspires students to take up STEM courses in the college level.
After years of conducting these science programs in various areas of Luzon and Mindanao, DOST-SEI has now brought the science adventure to Bohol.
For a couple of weeks, Bohol had been both a home and a learning ground, a place where many young Boholanos had the chance to discover science and connect to the world around them, together with the company of some of the country’s brilliant scientist-facilitators and science advocates.
“Hindi na ako bulag sa mga epekto ng climate change. You encouraged me to be better for our community and for our environment (I’m not blind anymore to the effects of climate change),” said Mary Precious Alyzza Golosenda, a 9th grader from Mahayag National High School.
This year, a batch of students and teachers from different municipalities of Bohol got the chance to be junior marine scientists and junior weather specialists during a 9-day intensive science youth camp held in Panglao Island.
The camp introduced oceanography and meteorology through a series of lectures, hands-on laboratory activities, and field exposures, guided by young scientists from University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) and DOST Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-Pagasa).
With this year’s theme “New Horizons: Connecting Lines Between the Sky, Sea, and Society,” campers appreciated the interconnectedness of the ocean, the atmosphere, and the community. The modules centered on the following subjects: Temperature, pressure, rainfall, greenhouse gases, weather, hazards, extreme weather conditions, and automatic weather station (AWS) observation.
They also tackled oceanic temperature, circulation, chemistry, marine biology, and focused on issues such as ocean warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification and the impacts of coral bleaching.
Statisticians from the Institute’s Research Unit also exposed the campers to community-based research and participatory assessment of climate change impact.
By interacting with scientists, campers unlocked new skills such as collecting seawater samples for plankton and water quality analysis, basic snorkeling, and conducting research. For their field exposure, campers were brought to Pamilacan Island to explore the corals and seagrass and to Panglao Poblacion seaport to observe the mangroves. They also visited the Pagasa Weather Station to examine the instruments used in gathering data for weather forecasting.
Engineer Lean Michael Malabanan taught a module on storm surge activity. The 26-year-old engineer-turned-meteorologist conducted simulation experiments to introduce numerous factors crucial in understanding waves and storm surges.
Malabanan, a DOST scholar under RA 7687, graduated from the Southern Luzon State University in 2018 with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Currently, he is working as a weather observer under the Climate and Agrometeorological Division of the DOST-Pagasa.
Bringing science closer to 400 kids
Aiming to widen its reach in the Central Visayas, the NuLab: STEM in Motion bus embarked on a three-day road trip from Manila to bring science closer to around 400 young Boholanos.
The bright yellow mobile learning facility visited five public high schools in partnership with the DOST Regional Office VII, Provincial Science and Technology Office (PSTO)-Bohol, and the Department of Education Division of Bohol. The bus journeyed through the coastal towns of Ubay and Bien Unido before reaching selected schools in Tagbilaran City.
NuLab is DOST-SEI’s way to address the lack of science laboratory facilities in underprivileged schools in the country. In the bus, there are individual screens for students, wireless sensors and a large interactive board that can simulate a science laboratory which can encourage students to venture into STEM fields.
With NuLab’s visit, students learned from some of the country’s leading scientists and professionals. Balik Scientist and DOST Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) Deputy Director Vallerie Innis Samson introduced the practical uses of nuclear science, while her fellow Balik Scientist and Central Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF-JAZC) Marine Sciences Laboratory Director Janneli Lea Soria taught environmental science focusing on the geological features of Bohol province.
University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) professors Dr. Ariel Babierra and Dr. Jomar Rabajante taught Bezier Curves using a fun and interactive mathematics module, while chemist-entrepreneur Miko Lorenzo Belgado introduced the students to chemistry.
Among the roster of NuLab’s scientist-facilitators was DOST scholar Lorraine Joyce del Rosario who taught the basics of microbiology. With the laboratory-grade equipment and a carefully designed module, Del Rosario made science learning exciting and inspiring even for non-STEM students.
“I wanted to be an instrument also to promote STEM to students, to young people, so that they too, can be inspired to take up science courses or to be in the science field in the future,” said Del Rosario.
One student from Ubay National High School who participated in the microbiology module taught by Del Rosario expressed her newfound perspective in STEM careers.
“Before I participated in the NuLab event, my first course for college was Political Science. After my experience in NuLab, it broadened my experience and I discovered that there are many STEM courses available,” said Grade 11 student Alaiza Samon.
Pushing for more Boholano scholars, scientists
Ultimately, DOST-SEI’s goal is to encourage students to pursue science and technology courses and help them finish their studies through various undergraduate scholarship programs.
Under the “#Push4Science: Maging DOST Scholar Ka” campaign, the institute introduced the opportunities and benefits of being a DOST scholar to the Boholano youth.
Currently, qualifiers for the DOST undergraduate scholarship receive P7,000 monthly stipend, tuition subsidy, along with other allowances such as clothing and transportation.
“We encourage young people to pursue STEM careers, and SEI will help them because we provide scholarships. That’s our number one program for university students; and even to pursue their MS or PHD, both locally and abroad,” said Dr. Josette Biyo, DOST-SEI Director.
“We need more people in the field of STEM because we are going to be instrumental in improving the quality of lives through research building and through information dissemination,” said Del Rosario, who is also in her sixth year of teaching at the University of Santo Tomas Senior High School. (Story and photos courtesy of DOST-SEI Media Relations)