2012. My life was at an upswing. I felt blessed. The dream? I wanted for a lot more young Filipinos (especially those from the humblest beginnings) to experience the same opportunities that’d come my way... and if possible, I hope they become better versions of my generation. January 2012: After an outreach activity aimed at mentoring Batangas City High School Science teachers in Science Research, I went home with a heavy heart. Our teachers felt unsupported. I decided to stay connected with them, I made the Batangas City Science Teachers’ Hub Facebook page.
With 237 followers (mainly teachers), I tried to keep them engaged from across the Pacific Ocean. I FAILED. The page went dormant. Come 2020: I didn’t realize that it would take a pandemic to remind me of this platform... of this cause. It occurred to me: If I could help those 237 teachers at home, I am, in a way, keeping my promise. It only started with posting free online courses from UP Open University. The engagement increased, the following ramped exponentially. I reached out to a few trusted friends who share the same advocacy. And here we are, 4 weeks since the page was resurrected, we’re 11 thousand strong. ~90% teachers from all over the Philippines. This is Filipino Science Hub’s (re)birth. This platform is my job alongside my corporate job. Different, but equally fulfilling. I look forward to touching the lives of Filipino students through our teachers. Brace yourselves. The party’s just getting started.
