Agriculture is both an art and a science, providing sustenance for a global population that continues to rise. While traditional methods continue to be employed by local farmers, science and technology can be harnessed in order to increase farm yields by making crops more resilient and abundant. Scientific research can also help make agri-industry practices more sustainable, in order to help feed more communities.
Both driven for scientific advancement, Bayer Philippines, Inc. and the Philippine Science High School are collaborating on a program to spark interest in the field of agricultural science among the youth. Bayer, a global leader in the field of pharmaceuticals and life sciences, and the PSHS, a premier educational institution renowned for its commitment to scientific excellence, recently renewed its partnership for the school’s Science Immersion Program (SIP). This was after the assessment of the initial MOA signed in 2022 that proved to be a resounding success and prompted the decision to extend the partnership for an additional five years (2023-2027).
The PSHS System developed the SIP to motivate high school scholars, specifically those in their senior years, to pursue a career in science and technology by collaborating with different public and private research institutions.
Through the partnership with Bayer Philippines, the SIP will be an avenue for the students to apply classroom lessons into actual research projects and interact with scientists in Bayer laboratories. Bayer will provide a two- to three-week immersion program that can help refine the academic and research skills of the PSHS students. The collaboration also seeks to familiarize the learners with the necessary tools and work locations across various practices of scientific disciplines.
The signing ceremony, held at the PSHS System-Office of the Executive Director, brought together top executives from Bayer and distinguished officials from PSHS. Bayer Philippines Inc. Managing Director and Country Division Head for Pharmaceuticals Angel-Michael Evangelista and Communications Manager Nadira Abubakar, and PSHS Executive Director Lilia Habacon and Deputy Executive Director Rod Allan De Lara signed the agreement, solidifying their shared commitment to fostering innovation, research, and scientific education.
“We are glad to be back here at PSHS after one year. On our end, we were just as inspired by the PSHS students with their eagerness, engagement, and passion for science. We are happy to partner once again with the PSHS and continue inspiring our young scientists to take a deeper interest in agriculture and to support their science education through hands-on experience in our research sites,” says Bayer Country Director Angel Michael Evangelista, who is also a PSHS alumnus from the Main Campus Batch ‘82.
Science for Food Security
One of the student participants from last year’s program, Awhyn Chjervall K. Nobora, says the Bayer SIP program taught them about how scientific development can assist in the survivability of agricultural produce. “The scientists and researchers study the management of insects, weeds, and plant diseases that hurt crop quality and yield. These involved developments such as pesticides for combating resistant pests and drones for efficient and effective distribution of these pesticides. We were taught how to identification of pests, procedures on how they are analyzed, and experimentation to test effectiveness of certain pesticides against these pests.”
Nobora adds, “I believe agriculture is highly underappreciated. The Philippines has a lot of agricultural advantages yet they are underutilized as the country often imports produce from other countries. This competition harshly impacts our local farmers, whose population is decreasing due to their disinterest in teaching the younger generation in favor of them taking on other fields, and underappreciation from the general public. Science can help these farmers in various ways to ensure maximum crop yield, and therefore profit. These scientific advances can help farmers continue their work and hopefully reach out to others who may follow them.”
Another student participant in the Bayer SIP Program, Bradley D. Vidallon, says he is exposed to agri since he lives in Alfonso, Cavite where there are many farms in the vicinity. He adds that the added exposure through Bayer SIP has helped him value the role of science in supporting Filipino farmers. “Agricultural Science is a really underrated field even though the Philippines is an agricultural country. It was surprising to learn how much land we need to feed a certain amount of people, so there's definitely a need to make crop production much more efficient as well as robust to support food security and that's where science and technology comes in.”
PSHS Executive Director Lilia Habacon emphasized the transformative impact of the partnership with Bayer Philippines on PSHS students, saying, "It is our hope that through this SIP, we can encourage more students to engage in agriculture by showing them that it is beyond the traditionally-known farming practices. Because, [in the long run], their expertise in biochemistry and physics will play an important role in the development of agriculture in the country.”