TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Kalinga is positioning itself to become the next hub for science and technology education in Northern Luzon as Governor James S. Edduba announced the Provincial Government's intention to bring the second Philippine Science High School (PSHS or "PISAY") campus in the Cordillera Administrative Region to the province.
The proposal was presented during the Kapehan sa Kapitolyo on August 3 at the New Conference Hall in Bulanao, where the governor urged provincial officials to act quickly in securing the opportunity before other provinces make competing bids.
"We are hoping that the second campus for the Philippine Science High ket ditoy kuma Kalinga ti mapanan na. Under the law gamin ket adda ti kunana nga there should be established two science high in every region ket ti maysa ket adda idiay Baguio. And ditoy Kalinga, datayo kuma ti ag-volunteer tapnu ditoy kuma ti pagyanan na nga maysa before alaen ti dadduma nga probinsya ti chance," Governor Edduba said.
Why Kalinga wants the second PISAY
Governor Edduba said Kalinga is an ideal location for a second PSHS campus because of its strategic position in the Cordillera.
According to the governor, establishing the school in Kalinga would make quality science education more accessible not only to students from the province but also to learners from neighboring Apayao, Abra, Mountain Province, and Ifugao, who currently travel to Baguio City or farther to pursue science education.
"...kasi strategically located tayo ta asideg met ti Apayao ken datayo; Abra, Mt. Province and Ifugao. Mas asideg ditoy ayan tayo kesa umadayo da pay even to other regions," he said.
Edduba added that attracting a Philippine Science High School campus would complement the province's continuing efforts to host more national government institutions and strengthen Kalinga's role as a regional center for public services.
"That is why we are so interested nga adda ma-establish kuma nga science high tapnu adda metlang kuma i-offer tayo ken agitoy national government nga kayat da agi-offer tapnu kasla maymaysa tun ti pagyanan da amin. So please paspasan tayo metlang kuma tapnu adda metlang pay dadduma nga i-offer tayo ti national line agencies," he added.
If approved, the governor said the campus would not only provide world-class STEM education but also attract highly qualified teachers, researchers, and students, stimulate local economic activity, and further establish Kalinga as an emerging center for education, research, and innovation in the Cordillera.
The country's premier science high school
The Philippine Science High School System was established in 1963 through Republic Act No. 3661 as the country's premier public secondary school system for academically gifted students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Now under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the PSHS System operates 16 campuses nationwide, providing full scholarships to students who pass its highly competitive National Competitive Examination.
"PISAY" is the widely recognized nickname for the Philippine Science High School, derived from the words "Philippine" and "Science."
At present, the Philippine Science High School–Cordillera Administrative Region Campus (PSHS-CARC) in Irisan, Baguio City is the region's only PSHS campus. It has long served students from all six provinces of the Cordillera and has produced graduates who have excelled in engineering, medicine, research, technology, and other STEM-related fields.
Should the proposal materialize, the new campus would become the second Philippine Science High School in the Cordillera, giving thousands of academically gifted students from Kalinga and neighboring provinces better access to one of the country's most prestigious public science high school systems while reducing the need to relocate to Baguio City for specialized STEM education.
.png)
