Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara has cited Roche as an example of an innovative company that can inspire students to make choices toward careers in science and technology, on the heels of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines’ “Day of the Future” event.
In the press conference for the event organized by the Swiss Cultural Fund (SCF) and hosted by the Swiss Chamber, Angara also praised Roche and the eight other companies who welcomed 360 elementary and high school students to their facilities all over the country in the activity held in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd).
“If we could take more kids to the Genome Center, to SGS, to Roche, all these things will inspire kids and their choices, and we will try to do it earlier (in the year) also,” said Angara of the event, which allowed students, the Swiss Chamber said, to “experience hands-on industry activities to fuel their interests and broaden their horizons for their future careers.”
Roche was the first among the participating companies in the country to stage a “Day of the Future” event recently, welcoming 20 senior high school students from Makati Science High School (MakSci) at its Philippine affiliate’s offices in Taguig City. Three MakSci teachers and two officials from the DepEd Central Office accompanied the learners.
Dr. Diana M. Edralin, MD, DPCOM, General Manager of Roche (Philippines) Inc., welcomed the MakSci students, discussing the advances in science and technology led by the Swiss company that have allowed early disease detection, prevention, and cure for millions of patients around the world.
“Taking care of your health is just as important as your education,” Dr. Edralin told the Grade 12 learners, who were eager to discover Roche’s pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and diabetes care operations locally, in a presentation titled “Science and You: Building a Healthy Tomorrow.”
Roche officers then took the students around the office for interactive sessions at learning areas that demonstrated how artificial intelligence (AI) is used in healthcare, how diagnostic laboratory machines work, and the regulatory and quality assurance requirements for pharma companies, with special sessions on retinal diseases and breast cancer.
Some of the Makati Science students later expressed a desire to join the healthcare industry, impressed by what they experienced with their visit to Roche. It dovetailed with the Day of the Future’s goal to empower Filipino students to explore diverse career paths and engage with leaders from various industries, according to Swiss Embassy Chargé d’affaires Ms. Céline Fürst.
Education Secretary Angara, a multi-term senator before joining the Marcos administration, also highlighted the importance of international collaboration in enhancing educational systems and workforce readiness in the press briefing attended by Furst and the leaders of the eight Swiss companies operating in the Philippines, including Dr. Edralin of Roche.
