The 39th Philippine Chemistry Congress (39PCC) united hundreds of chemists, educators, researchers, students, and industry leaders in a vibrant convergence of ideas and innovations in Iloilo City. Hosted by the Philippine Association of Chemistry Teachers – National Chapter (������Ƶ-National) and co-organized by the Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies (PFCS) and ������Ƶ-Region VI, the 39PCC celebrated chemistry’s evolving role in solving global challenges through the lens of quantum science, sustainability, and digital transformation.

July 1, 2025: Knowledge Building Begins

The event opened on July 1 with a highly specialized Pre-Conference Workshop at the University of San Agustin. Participants explored mass spectrometry and data analytics as indispensable tools in functional food research—an emerging interdisciplinary field blending chemistry, nutrition, and data science.

July 2, 2025: A Grand Kickoff and Scientific Exchange

On July 2, delegates officially launched the congress with a vibrant Opening Program, led by PFCS President Dr. Glenn V. Alea and ������Ƶ President Dr. Voltaire G. Organo. The parade of colors and ribbon-cutting ceremony energized the start of the main event.

Dr. Cristine Villagonzalo of the UP National Institute of Physics delivered a powerful Keynote Address on “Unworldly quantum ideas and the technologies that arise from them,” setting the tone for thought-provoking plenary sessions. Notable lectures followed, including:

• Dr. Michelle D. Regulacio on plasmonic metal nanomaterials
• Dr. Joey D. Ocon on chemistry’s role in energy transition

The day ended on a cultural high with “Orbitals Unleashed”, featuring awards, raffles, an art contest, and a spectacular fellowship and cultural show that showcased Filipino talent and camaraderie among scientists.

July 3, 2025: The Heart of the Congress

July 3 was abuzz with parallel oral presentations, poster sessions, and product showcases. Topics spanned:

• Nanotechnology, analytical chemistry, and environmental science
• Food and pharmaceutical chemistry
• Chemical education and computational chemistry
• Sustainability, green chemistry, and synthetic chemistry

Six parallel sessions ran simultaneously, moderated by leaders in their respective fields. Attendees engaged with innovations such as bioplastics from agricultural waste, AI and game-based learning in chemistry, and groundbreaking work in medicinal plant research.

The day also featured 13 product presentations, from cutting-edge instruments to novel teaching and research technologies, thanks to the support of leading companies and sponsors.

July 4, 2025: Looking Forward

The final day, July 4, featured government and international perspectives:

• Mr. Jeffrey A. Aborot of DOST-ASTI discussed computing for R&D in chemistry
• Dr. Reinabelle Reyes of PhilSA explored the Philippine space ecosystem
• Dr. Seamus Delaney from Deakin University, Australia, presented on system thinking in chemistry education

The congress culminated in the recognition of exhibitors, awarding of top posters, and the official announcement of the 40PCC.

In Retrospect

The 39th PCC wasn’t just a conference—it was a celebration of Filipino ingenuity, a showcase of collaborative science, and a bridge to future possibilities in chemistry. As we go beyond the orbitals, the PCC reminds us: the real power of chemistry lies in connection—across disciplines, sectors, and borders.

Stay tuned for the 40th Philippine Chemistry Congress!

Visit us at .

REGISTER NOW! Use the qr code below.

Edited by Ralph Lauren M. Alomia

The ������Ƶ-National held its General Assembly on May 11, 2024 in Sheraton Manila Bay Hotel, Malate, Manila. The program began with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and an Opening Prayer, followed by a Welcome Message from Dr. Voltaire G. Organo, ������Ƶ President.

Dr. Edwehna Elinore S. Paderna, ������Ƶ Executive Vice President, introduced the guest speaker for the event, Mr. Resty C. Collado. Mr. Collado is a science faculty and Innovation and Technology Officer of Miriam College High School.  Mr. Collado’s talk “When Teachers Design: A Confluence of Pedagogical and Content Knowledge” centered on the importance of design thinking in education, and how teachers themselves can also be considered as designers.  He emphasized that in order to foster good learning environments, teachers must refrain from rushing into making a solution when designing. Instead, they should follow steps including explaining the problem, considering various solutions, and evaluating the requirements for each solution.  This follows a problem-solving paradigm.  Mr. Collado also highlighted the difference between designing for students versus designing with them. Considering the students’ strengths and weaknesses is essential for being a good teacher-designer.  This can be applied in writing a lesson plan or in developing a learning material.  Overall, Mr. Collado’s talk provided a unique viewpoint for teachers that aim to continuously improve their students’ learning environment. 

After the talk, the Business Meeting started with the presentation of the official nominees for the elections for the 3 seats for the ������Ƶ Board of Trustees. There were 7 nominees, namely, Ralph Lauren M. Alomia (UP Los Banos), Vic Marie I. Camacho (Philippine Normal University), Ruel Valerio de Grano (UST College of Pharmacy), Voltaire G. Organo (UP Manila), Edwehna Elinore S. Paderna (UP Diliman College of Education), Ma. Cristina Salazar-Pascua (Centro Escolar University), and Cynthia Talens (Manila Tytana Colleges). The members of the Electoral Council were given the time to vote.

������Ƶ’s Business Meeting highlighted on the following, the President’s Report by Dr. Voltaire G. Organo, the Treasurer’s Report by Dr. Fedeliz S. Tuy, and the Membership Committee Report by Ms. Maria Theresa T. Bonus.

During the business meeting, the ������Ƶ’s apprentices, Ashley Yu, Clarence Cabrido, and Jaime Layug of Reedley International School were awarded with a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition for their invaluable services to ������Ƶ, which includes graphic designing and research.  These apprentices provided their time and effort to help ������Ƶ with some of their tasks.  

Ms. Maria Florencia Male,  Chair of the Election Committee, presented the three newly elected members of the board: Dr. Voltaire G. Organo, from UP Manila, Dr. Edwehna Paderna from UP Diliman, and Asst. Prof. Ralph Lauren M. Alomia from UP Los Baños.  After which, all members of ������Ƶ’s Board of Trustees took their oath officiated by Dr. Glenn V. Alea, PFCS President.

The program was then formally concluded by Dr. Edwehna Elinore S. Paderna, followed by the announcement of the 39th Philippine Chemistry Congress (PCC) on July 2-4, 2025 at Iloilo Convention Center, with the theme: “Beyond the Orbitals: Exploring Multi-Realms in Chemistry.” The theme is in connection with the celebration of the International Year of Quantum Science in 2025.  A video which promotes the Iloilo tourism was then presented on-screen to entice the viewers to attend the 39th PCC.

Finally, a same-day edit was played to the participants to recapture the highlights of the event.

to the video.

The Philippine Association of Chemistry Teachers (������Ƶ)-National Chapter held its
2023 National Convention at Century Park Hotel, Malate, Manila, on August 17-19,
2023, with the theme, “Interdisciplinary Approaches to Chemistry Education and
�����𲹰�����.” ������Ƶ members from different parts of the country participated in the event.

The program started with a welcoming message from the ������Ƶ-National President, Dr.
Voltaire G. Organo, followed by a Keynote Address from Dr. Carlo A. Arcilla, Director of
the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI). Dr. Arcilla highlighted the role of
Chemistry Education in Nuclear Research. He also introduced existing research
programs in PNRI.

The first day also includes Plenary Talks on the importance of
“Systems Thinking in Interdisciplinarity” by Asst. Prof. Tristan C. Orbeta from the
College of Education, UP Diliman. Dean Charisse T. Reyes, Faculty of Education from
UP Open University, discussed “The Role of Research in Advancing Chemistry
Education in the Philippines.” Finally, Mr. Joseph V. Gutierrez from the Bureau of
Curriculum Development of the Department of Education described the ��ٰշ���
Integration in the Revised Science Curriculum.”

The second day features the parallel sessions, which include Oral Paper presentations
that highlight the results of various Chemistry Education research, Show-and-Tell
sessions in pedagogy, and product presentations from sponsors, namely the C& E
adaptive learning solutions, Metrobank, Rex Education, Sigmatech, and Science Star
Corporation.

On the last day, participatory Plenary Talks that highlight the Interdisciplinary
approaches in teaching Chemistry in the context of Coffee Chemistry and Cosmetic
Chemistry were given by Dr. Emmanuel V. Garcia of the Chemistry Department, DLSU-
Manila and Djanne Marie T. Garcia of DJM Gradeur Corporation. Dr. Edwehna Elinore
S. Paderna, Executive Vice President of the ������Ƶ-National Chapter, concluded the event.

In 2021, the first partnership between the Philippine Association of Chemistry Teachers and Reedley International School for the Work Immersion program took place. They continue this partnership in 2022 with 6 new apprentices. Between the days of May 3-18, these apprentices worked as 3 different teams in their respective positions. 

The first team worked towards creating a Home-Lab Kit which can already be seen from the . Their google site consists of the Home-Laboratory Kit, video demos and worksheets. When asked of their experiences being an apprentice, they commented that it was enjoyable and a great learning experience. One of the apprentices mentions that a lesson they learned is the importance of reaching out. To quote the apprentice, “Moreover, I have also learned the importance of reaching out. I am the type of person who prefers to accomplish tasks on my own, but in the encouraging environment that ������Ƶ has offered us, I was able to ask for help whenever I encountered a challenge in the creation of my output.”

The next team were documentation writers who worked towards writing articles for past events in ������Ƶ’s history. This had the apprentices read different materials and listen to webinars to summarize and write into sizable articles. When asked of the lessons they learned while being an apprentice one of them comments, “The ������Ƶ apprenticeship allowed me to gain invaluable experience in writing articles and the use of WordPress for website posting and management.”

The final team was tasked with creating posters and other publication materials. They also contacted and sent out invitations to different companies. They commented that this apprenticeship was very educational and helped them better themselves. When asked of their experience, one of the apprentices had this to say, “It was better than I thought it was gonna be. I thought it would be more stressful but it was actually quite fun.”

The Philippine Association of Chemistry Teachers annually holds seminar-workshops to celebrate the National Chemistry Week. For 2021, this Webinar was held from February 13 to 20 and the theme was 2IM������Ƶ: Enriching Professional and Ethical Competence of Science Educators. The topics were (1) Ethics of a STEM teacher, (2) the Role of Counseling on Teenage Mental Health, and (3) Mindfulness in the Classroom.

The first lecture, on the Ethics of a STEM Teacher, was delivered by Abigail Thea O. Canuto, an Assistant Professor working for the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She wonderfully outlined the importance of teachers as ethical role models as they show students the application of ethics in Science, through the reflective “Complete Act of Thought” way of thinking. She also emphasized on the need for teachers to create a “Scientific Community of Inquiry”  in the classroom where students are able to ask questions about Science, are able to discuss Science with each other through class activities and are able to gain a “sense of wonder” in their understanding of it. 

The following lecture, the Role of Counseling on Teenage Mental Health, was by Dr. Jaclyn Marie L. Cauyan, College Secretary, College of Education, University of the Philippines-Diliman. She emphasized on the importance of mental health and its effect on students and teachers, even more so being amidst a pandemic. Teachers, having the most influence on the youth, are at the forefront at being able to help in the mental health of their students. She expressed the importance of teachers being able to connect to students as a way, not only, to help in their academics but in their overall growth as well.

The final lecture was by Michael U. Jimenez on Mindfulness in the Classroom. Mr. Jimenez focused on how Mindfulness as well as elements of meditation can be used as a way for teachers and students to focus on the present, on their work. He discussed how these practices could help to deal with anxieties of the past and future or the distractions of technology in the modern world.

While the talks contained a great deal of important information, they were not the end and be all of Chemistry Week. The participants gained access to asynchronous sessions moderated by Jasper Perez and Emil Escalante where they learned even more about Psychological First Aid and Colorful Electrolysis. Overall, the event was a great opportunity for all involved to pass on or learn even more about teaching Chemistry and will be continued in the future!

The ������Ƶ General Assembly will be held on May 29, 2021 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm via Zoom. The Distinguished Speaker for the General Assembly is Dr. Roy van den Brink-Budgen from UK. After the talk, the President and the Treasurer will give the Annual Report.

If you are a ������Ƶ member, you may sign up for the General Assembly. Click on this .

The Philippine Association of Chemistry Teachers, Inc. invites you to the 2021 National Chemistry Week Celebration this February 13.

This year’s theme is 2IM������Ƶ: Enriching Professional and Ethical Competence of Science Educators. Synchronous sessions will be held on February 13, 2021, starting from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM via Zoom.

After the morning session, asynchronous sessions will be available until 11:59 PM on February 20, 2021.

REGISTRATION LINK:

Certificates will be given after the collection of the outputs from the asynchronous sessions. An email will be sent to you for instructions.

CPD UNITS APPLIED.

SEE YOU THERE!

The Webinar Speaker is Dr. Elmer-Rico E. Mojica, Associate Professor of Pace University in New York City, New York, USA shared his experiences and insights from his online classes in chemistry.

In the first quarter of 2020, face-to-face classes were shifted to online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has greatly affected science subjects and caused too pressure to the teachers on how to deliver quality education in these times. Fortunately, Dr. Mojica made it easier for us to understand the situation, relate to the students, and formulate ways to teach chemistry without physical contact.

In an online chemistry lecture, even though not all of the students are attending, there should be a way for them to have access to assessments and materials. More importantly, the communication between the student and the teacher must always be there. Conducting surveys, before and after the classes, exams, and materials make a good feedbacking technique.

Chemistry has always been associated with the laboratory . What will happen now during the time of this pandemic? According to Dr. Mojica, there are a lot of ways to conduct experiments. There are websites that can help us simulate the experiments and videos of chemistry experiments from YouTube. A home-based experiment is also an option but this needs to be done with caution.

The next webinar series will focus on designing laboratory classes online.

#Im������Ƶ