What do young Filipinos think about STEM?

Philippines Youth in STEM: 2020 Report

In 2019 The Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE), together with Unilab Foundation’s STEM+PH, with the assistance of the UP Center for Women’s Studies Foundation conducted a baseline study to examine the gender dimensions of the STEM economy, identify gaps, and make recommendations to STEM industries towards the direction of policies that might address such gaps. The findings concluded that there are still many male-centered norms and work practices in STEM industries in the Philippines.

Unilab and PBCWE wanted to continue their research around understanding the gender divide in STEM fields through the establishments of the Philippines first Youth in STEM research. This study looked to understand the young Filipinos’ attitudes and behaviours about STEM education and related careers.

YouthInsight has been running the same study for the Australian federal government over the past 2 years, so Unilab and PBCWE aimed to leverage the expertise of YouthInsight to replicate the same tracking study for the Philippines.

The principal objective of the study was to create a national benchmark of young Filipinos’ awareness and perceptions of STEM subjects and STEM-related careers with a particular focus on the difference between male and female students.

The study was carried out online, and surveyed 1,500 Filipino students aged between 12 and 25 years across all regions.

Unilab and PBCWE have now published their report based on our survey findings.