[L-R] Ms. Joan Marie Armada-Urieta of the Unilab Foundation, Inc., Mr. Hanibal Camua of PBEd, Ms. Grace Co of Microsoft, Mr. Francisco Alcuaz, Jr of MBC., Dr. Gonzalo C. Serafica of CISTEM, Ms. Janet Serrano of Emerson, Ms. Clarissa Segismundo of Microsoft, Mr. Sherwin Yap of Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., Ms. Lilibeth C. Aristorenas of theUnilab Foundation, Inc., Mr. Neil Diamonon & Juan Miguel de Guzman of HP, Ms. Marie Angelie B. Gonzales & Engr. Wrianeile V. Abuel of Unilab, Inc., Dr. Sheryl Lyn Monterola of UP NISMED, and Mr. Carlo Abayon of PBCWE.
November 15, 2023, Makati City, Philippines — The STEM Leadership Alliance-Philippines (SLA-PH), an influential coalition comprising industry leaders, educators, government officials, development partners, non-profit organizations, and corporate foundations, successfully convened its highly anticipated year-end meeting and mixer event at the Microsoft Philippines office, located at 11F, One Ayala West Tower, Ayala Avenue cor Edsa, Brgy. San Lorenzo, Makati City, 1223, Philippines.
SLA-PH is steadfast in its commitment to fortifying integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in the Philippines. Inspired by the success of STEM Leadership Alliance in the United States, SLA-PH was convened in 2019 by the Unilab Foundation, Inc. Currently the foundation serves as its current secretariat. The Unilab Foundation, Inc., as the lead convener of the STEM Alliance, plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders to champion and support STEM education initiatives.
Unveiling Future-Ready Strategies and Electing New Chairperson
The Year-End Meeting of SLA-PH was a momentous occasion, featuring discussions on innovative approaches to STEM education, addressing key challenges, and formulating strategies for the future. Notably, the meeting marked the election of a new chairman, Mr. Sherwin Yap of Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., highlighting the commitment of industry leaders to driving the agenda of STEM education in the Philippines.
Additionally, the STEM Leadership Alliance PH launched its first SLA Mixers with the theme “Digitalize to Optimize: Can Digital Transformation be used as a platform to enhance STEM learning experience?” on November 15, 2023, at Microsoft Philippines, Makati City. This event brought together various government, industry, and academic leaders to create an enabling environment for a future-ready workforce that is committed to strengthening the STEM pipeline in the Philippines.
The 2023 Mixer sparked discussions on current trends, policies, innovations, and opportunities on how digital transformation can enhance the STEM learning experience, featuring Center for Integrated STEM Education, Inc’s Dr. Gonzalo Serafica, Analytics & Artificial Intelligence of the Philippines’ Ms. Michelle Alarcon, Batangas State University’s Dr. Tirso Ronquillo, and Philippine Business for Education’s Mr. Hanibal Camua.
The 4th Quarterly Founding Members’ Meeting was also conducted on November 15, 2023, during which relevant updates on membership expansion, learners’ engagement, teacher capacity building, and Workforce Development were presented. Mr. Sherwin Yap of Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. was appointed as the new SLA-PH Chairperson by the Founding Members.
Mr. Sherwin Yap, the newly elected SLA-PH Chair had this to say about his new role :
“I am deeply honored to serve as chairman for the STEM Leadership Alliance - Philippines. Recognizing the pivotal role of STEM Education in shaping the future industries and acknowledging the current challenges in Mathematics and Sciences in our country, I am committed to making STEM education a driving force for progress. Being part of this alliance of strong organizations that share a common mission is exhilarating. I am confident that we can make a substantial difference for our nation, paving the way for a brighter future through enhanced STEM education.”
SLA-PH is a collaborative network led by industry professionals, encompassing government, industry, and education sectors, dedicated to advancing STEM Education.
The Founding Members of STEM Leadership Alliance-PH with new members include:
-The Unilab Foundation, Inc. (lead convener)
- Action for Economic Reforms
- C & E Publishing, Inc.
- Center for Integrated STEM Education, Inc.
- Emerson
- Hewlett-Packard
- International Labour Organization
- Makati Business Club
- Microsoft
- Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment
- Philippine Business for Education
- Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc.
- Unilab, Inc.
- Insular Foundation, Inc. (new member)
- IBM Philippines (new member)
For more information about STEM Leadership Alliance-Philippines and its initiatives, please visit stemleadershipalliance.ph and connect with the SLA-PH Secretariat
Join the conversation on social media using #SLAph and #SLAMixers2023.