Over 200 students from various schools across the province gathered at the Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography (MSU-TCTO) for the Salinlahi Symposium 2025, a nationwide science education initiative led by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOST-BARMM), as shared in a Facebook post by MOST-BARMM.

In her opening message, Acting MOST Minister Jehan A. Usop, MAPDS, emphasized the importance of grounding science in local culture and aligning progress with purpose. “Science must never be divorced from culture. And progress must never be detached from purpose,” she said, highlighting the event’s goal of building a future where “no child, no island, and no dream is left behind.”

The symposium is part of the broader efforts of the Bangsamoro Government, under Interim Chief Minister Hon. Abdulraof A. Macacua, to promote inclusive and science-based development across the region, especially in geographically isolated and underserved communities.

Minister Usop noted that science, technology, and innovation (STI) are not just tools for research but powerful drivers of change that can create livelihoods and sustainable communities, even in far-flung islands and upland areas.

The event featured renowned scientists and experts, including Dir. Naz Buisan, DiSDS and head of MOST’s Research and Development Division, as well as personnel from NAST and MOST-PSTC, who continue to support programs that bridge the gap between science and the grassroots.

On her post at the social media, Minister Usop also stressed the value of engaging the youth in scientific discussions. “This series of symposia is a good start of partnership and collaboration through intergenerational dialogue between the scientists, researchers, and the students to broaden and strengthen the interest and engagement of our youth in science and technology,” she added.