Biology Students Summit 2014 Primer

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BIOLOGY STUDENTS SUMMIT Biology Students Summit is the biggest annual gathering of Biology majors in the Philippines. It aims to advance environmental awareness and academic development, while still being able to foster camaraderie and solidarity among the different sectors and constituents of the alliance. The roster of events this year–BioSeminar, National Biology Cup (NBC), and Bio Mr. and Ms. Earth (BioMME)–aspires to incite research and medical interests in the life sciences, while still recognizing the creative pursuits and endeavors of its participants. Biology Students Summit lays the groundwork in building a holistic scientific environment for budding biologists across the country.

Event Line-up National Biology Cup (NBC) The National Biology Cup is the largest inter-collegiate scholastic competition focused on the biological sciences in the Philippines. Since its conception in 2013, the contest has become one of the main events of BMAP’s annual Biology Students Summit In partnership with the Biology Teachers Association of the Philippines (BIOTA), the National Biology Cup aims to gather the brightest minds from the different colleges and universities across the nation in a battle to determine the best college students in the country in terms of Biological Sciences.

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Bio Mr. and Ms. Earth (BioMME) Biology Students Summit ends on a high note with one of the most well liked BMAP events, Bio Mr. and Ms. Earth. BioMME is an intercollegiate pageant that advocates to promote environmental awareness and to lay stress on the importance of species biodiversity. What makes this event special and popular ever since its conception is the creative use of body paint and recycled materials to personify the biome the participants were assigned to. BioMME culminates the daylong festivities of Biology Students Summit and serves as an avenue in showcasing the artistry and resourcefulness of Biology majors beyond the four corners of the laboratory and lecture halls.

BioSeminar The Biology Students Summit kicks off with BioSeminar, a symposium dedicated to the celebration of life sciences. BioSeminar aims to serve as an avenue for healthy intellectual discussions and to facilitate an interchange of knowledge among biologists from all walks of life. In line with the theme “Discovering New Frontiers, Embracing New Possibilities,” three distinguished speakers will present the latest innovations in the exciting field of biology.

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I. About the 2nd National Biology Cup The Biology Majors Alliance of the Philippines (BMAP) in partnership with the Biology Teachers’ Association of the Philippines, Incorporated (BIOTA-PH) will hold the Second National Biology Cup in the Philippines on November 22, 2014 at the University of Santo Tomas. It will be held in line with SUMMIT 2014 with the theme, “Discovering New Frontiers, Embracing New Possibilities.” The National Biology Cup envisions to be the largest inter-collegiate scholastic competition focused on the biological sciences in the country. It aims to gather the brightest minds from different colleges and universities across the nation in a friendly battle of knowledge in the different fields of the biological sciences. The National Biology Cup aims to select the best college students in the country in terms of comprehension in the different facets of biology and this is to be done through three stages of competition (Elimination Round, Semi-Final Round, and Final Round).

II. Competition Guidelines

A. Qualif ication • The 2nd National Biology Cup is open to all bona fide college students

taking up BS Biology or any biology-allied degree program (BS Molecular

Biology and Biotechnology, BS Microbiology and BS Life Science, etc.)

from a higher education institution duly recognized by the Commission on

Higher Education (CHED).

• Each degree program is allowed to send a maximum of two (2) teams

composed of two (2) team members and one (1) alternate. Each degree

program is allowed to send a maximum of two (2) coaches, one for each

team.

• Only the first sixty (60) teams to register will be accepted. Walk-in teams

will be allowed to participate in the competition if there are still slots

available at the time of their arrival.

• Contestants should be enrolled in their respective degree programs as

the second semester or equivalent term, AY 2014-2015.  

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• During the registration process on the day of the competition, each

contestant should present the school ID. However, they may not wear

their school uniform on the day of the competition.

• The registration fee of one thousand five hundred pesos (Php 1,500.00) is

required for each participating team.

B. Mechanics

• The contest shall consist of three (3) rounds: (1) Elimination Round, (2)

Semi- Final Round, and (3) Final Round.

• Questions from all rounds of the competitions shall come from the

following categories: (1) Invertebrate Zoology, Microbiology, and

Parasitology, (2) Genetics, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, (3)

Ecology and Systematics, (4) Plant and Animal Physiology, (5)

Advancements and current trends in Biology.

• Only ordinary scientific calculators are allowed to be used in the

competition. Programmable calculators, pocket computers, and other

mobile devices are strictly prohibited. The calculators shall be checked

before each round by the National Biology Cup Committee.

• Each team shall be provided with five (5) scratch papers bearing the logo

of BMAP before each round. They shall not be allowed to use other

scratch papers. In addition to this, they shall be provided with a board and

marker for the Semi-Final round. These items are to be collected

thereafter.

• In identification questions, answers shall be stated/ written in complete

word. Acronyms shall be considered incorrect unless specified.

• Changes in the line-up should be made known to the National Biology

Cup Committee and may only be done before the beginning of the

contest proper. Contestants and alternates of one team are not allowed to

compete for another team. Substitution of a team member by an alternate

(and vice versa) will be allowed only before any round.  

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• To avoid unnecessary noise at the quiz venue, the audience shall be asked

to turn off or switch to silent mode their mobile phones and other

electronic devices so as to not cause distraction during the contest.

• Use of cameras is not allowed inside the quiz venue. Photos will be taken

by our designated photographers and shall be uploaded at the Facebook

page of the alliance.

C. Elimination Round • The Elimination Round shall be a one hundred (100) item multiple choice

written examinations. It shall consist of twenty (20) questions from each

category wherein ten (10) questions shall be worth one (1) point each, five

(5) questions shall be worth (2) points each, and five (5) questions shall be

worth three (3) points each.

• Wrong answers and blank items shall merit 0.25, 0.75, and 1.25 point

deductions respectively.

• The written exam shall be taken by all the team members, including the

alternate. It shall be taken for two (2) hours.

• The scores of each member of the team shall be added and this shall

constitute the total score for the team. The twenty (20) teams with the

highest scores shall proceed to the second round.

• The individual who obtains the highest number of points in the Elimination

Round shall be recognized at the end of the competition.

D. Semi- Final Round

• The top twenty (20) teams based on the cumulative scores of its members

shall proceed to the Semi-Final Round of the competition.

• The Semi-Final Round shall be divided into three phases: Easy, Average,

and Difficult.  

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• Only two (2) members from each team may enter the Semi-Final Round.

An alternate may substitute for any of the members (and vice versa) before

the beginning of each phase.

• Ten (10) questions shall be asked for each round. Easy questions shall be

worth five (5) points each. Average questions shall be worth ten (10) points

each. Difficult questions shall be worth fifteen (15) points each.

• There shall be two questions coming from each category in each of the

phases. Each question shall be read twice before the timer starts. Teams

can only start writing their answers once the quizmasters give their signals.

Teams must first be recognized by the quizmasters before they give their

answers. Teams who violate this rule shall be given a five (5) point

deduction for each offense.

• Protests over an item will only be entertained after the answers are given

and before the succeeding question is asked. Only the team members

and the coach shall be allowed to protest in behalf his/her team. The

decision of the board of Judges for all protests shall be deemed final.

• Contestants shall be given ten (10) seconds to answer the easy questions,

fifteen (15) seconds to answer the average questions, and twenty (20)

seconds to answer the difficult questions.

• At the end of the three phases of the Semi-Final Round, the top five (5)

teams with the highest number of points shall proceed to the Final Round.

Scores will go back to zero.

• Should ties exist, tiebreaker questions will be given to the teams in

contention. The team that first obtains five (5) correct answers shall be

awarded the slot in the Final Round.

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E. Final Round • The top five (5) teams based on the scores from the Semi-Final round shall

proceed to the Final round. The scores of all the teams shall go back to

zero.   • The format of the Final Round shall follow that of the game Jeopardy.

• The Final Round shall be divided into two (2) rounds and shall have five

categories (the categories previously mentioned) with each, having five

clues (with the points ranging from 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 points

respectively for the Jeopardy Round and 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 points

respectively for the Double Jeopardy Round).

• The question shall be provided in “answer” form and the answer must be

provided in “question” form (Ex. The question is, “This is the individual

units of a compound eye, a multifaceted eye, characteristic of arthropods”

and the answer to be given shall be “What is ommatidium?”). If a team

fails to phrase the answer in question form, the answer shall be considered

incorrect and the other teams shall be given a chance to steal the

question.

• An incorrect answer shall result to the deduction of the number of points

the question was worth to the current score of the team.

• When a team gives an incorrect answer of is unable to provide an answer

within ten (10) seconds after pressing the buzzer, the other teams shall be

given a chance to steal within five (5) seconds after the time of the first

team has elapsed.

• After the two rounds, the teams with nonnegative scores shall be allowed

to participate in the Final Jeopardy Round. In this round, a single question

shall be asked and the teams will be allowed to key in an amount ranging

from zero (0) until the number of points that they currently have together

with their answer. If the team gets the correct answer, the number of

points keyed in shall be added to their current score; however, if the team

answers incorrectly, the number of points that they keyed in shall be

deducted from their current score.

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• At the end of the Final Round, the three teams with the highest number of

points shall be awarded as the CHAMPION, FIRST RUNNER-UP, and

SECOND RUNNER-UP respectively.  

• Should ties exist for any place, same rules for breaking ties as use in the

Semi-Final round shall be followed.

F. Registration • A first come, first serve policy shall be observed in registration. Only the

first sixty (60) teams shall be allowed to participate in the competition.

• Each school is allowed to field in a maximum of two teams.

• Walk-in participants shall be allowed to participate in the competition if

there are still slots available.

• Registration procedures:

1. Accomplish completely the registration form attached to this letter.

Check all information and make sure that they are correct before

submitting the form. Corrections shall only be entertained within two

(2) days after the confirmation e-mail was sent. After that, all submitted

information will be considered final.

2. Pay the registration fee (Php 1,500 per team) at any Banco de Oro

Branch:

- Account name: Jon Paolo M. Vilvestre

- Account number: 002140038475

3. Send a scanned copy of the registration form and bank receipt to

[email protected] with the subject <school> - NBC2014.

4. Wait for a confirmation email to be sent by the National Biology Cup

Committee.

5. Present your school ID at the registration booth on the day of the

event.

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• In case of corrections, another registration form with COMPLETE details

must be resubmitted. The prior registration form submitted will be

automatically discarded.   • Requests for reprinting of certificates with incorrect spelling on the day of

the competition will not be entertained. However, the most we can do is

to issue a blank certificate.

• Participants of the National Biology Cup need not to register for SUMMIT

2014. The registration fee paid by the team shall also be the registration

fee for BIOLOGY STUDENTS SUMMIT 2014 of its members.

G. Important Reminders • Walk- in participants must be at the venue by 7:00 am to register. They

must bring with them an accomplished registration form and registration

fee payment.

• The registration and program will start at 7:00 am and 9:00 am

respectively. The program schedule will be followed strictly so please

come on time.

• Prizes:

- Champion: Php 20,000.00 + Medals + Perpetual Trophy

- First Runner-up: Php 12,000.00 + Medals

- Second Runner-up: Php 8,000.00 + Medals

• The winners may also receive prizes coming from the sponsors of the

competition.

• Certificates for all participants will be distributed at the END of the event.

Unclaimed certificates will not be sent via mail, online transfer, fax or any

other method.

• Frequently visit the BMAP like page (www.facebook.com/BIOmajorsPH)

for updates. The number of slots available shall be posted there from time

to time.

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NOTE: For any questions regarding the National Biology Cup, the NBC Committee

may be contacted through:

• E-mail address: [email protected]

• Facebook like page: www.facebook.com/BIOmajorsPH

• Contact persons: Eleos Arcon (09169341716)

Celina Jagonob (09293068008)

Howee Careon (09178222687)  

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I. About Bio Mr. & Ms. Earth 2014

BioMME or Bio Mr. & Ms. Earth is an annual pageant held by BMAP since 2007.

This pageant features contestants from its member organizations, who are each

assigned a specific biome that they will depict and personify.

II. Participants

Each member school of the Biology Majors Alliance of the Philippines is allowed

to send a maximum of two contestants (one male and one female) to the pageant. The

contestants must be members of the organization that they represent at the time of

Biology Student Summit 2014.

III. BioMME 2014 Official Theme and Title

In line with the theme of this year’s Biology Student Summit 2014,

Discovering New Frontiers, Embracing New Possibilities,” the theme for BioMME 2014

is inspired by the Avant Garde idea and it will go under the title, BioMME 2014:

Vanguards of Life.

IV. BioMME assignments

Biome assignments were decided through draw lots, which happened last

October 11, 2014. The list of biomes last year will be adopted in this year’s BioMME.

Member Schools Ecosystems / Biomes

Adamson University Taiga

Ateneo de Manila University Oceans

De La Salle University - Manila Freshwater Ecosystem

Far Eastern University Tropical Rainforest

Our Lady of Fatima University

Quezon City

Woodlands

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Our Lady of Fatima University

Valenzuela

Tundra

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Temperate Deciduous Rainforest

Polytechnic University of the

Phil ippines

Tropical/Subtropical Coniferous forest

Phil ippine Normal University Coral Reef Ecosystem

Rizal Technological University Mountain Ecosystem

San Beda College Mangrove Ecosystem

St. Scholastica’s College Temperate Grassland

University of the East Savannah

University of the Phil ippines Los

Banos

Desert

University of the Phil ippines Manila Steppes

University of Santo Tomas Swamp

V. Deadlines for Preliminary Preparations

• October 25-31, 2014: Submission of the names of the official candidates

(male and female) for each respective member-school.

• November 12, 2014: Member-schools can send the pictures of their

candidates and the video clip of their body painting session from October 19 to

November 12 only. Photos sent after November 12 will be disregarded and will

not be posted in BMAP like page for online voting. Photo shoot guidelines are

discussed under the “Photo shoot and Orientation Guidelines” section.

• October 25, 2014: Attendance to the official BioMME Candidates’

Orientation. Orientation guidelines are discussed under the “Photo shoot and

Orientation Guidelines” section.

• November 15, 2014: Attendance to the official BioMME General Rehearsal.

The contestants are strictly required to attend this rehearsal. Rehearsal

guidelines are discussed under the Guidelines section.

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• October 31 – November 19, 2014: Online and piso voting. Online voting

involves the collection of likes for the uploaded official photos of the contestants

in Facebook. Piso voting, on the other hand, involve s the circulation of a “Piso-

Voting Box” per member-school. The online and piso votes are separate for each

BioMME candidate, regardless of organizational affiliation.

VI. Program Flow

• A PAGEANT involving (1) a school pride ramp where BioMME candidates

showcase their respective organizations/alma mater by wearing their

organization/alma mater shirt and (2) a talent showcase of the candidates, (3) a

fashion show (FashOwn: Fashion Your Own) featuring the candidates wearing

clothing made from recyclable materials. FashOwn guidelines will be discussed

under “Fashion Show Guidelines”, (4) announcement of Top 5 male and female

candidates and (5) a Question and Answer portion that will determine the

winners of BioMME 2014.

VII. Awards and Prizes

Winners of BioMME 2014 will receive the following:

• Cash prize of Php 3,500 each, trophies, and the title of Bio Mr. and Ms. Earth

2014 for the 1st placers. They will also be BMAP’s official “faces” in upcoming

publicities and events until a new pair of winners are hailed (BioMME 2015).

• Cash prize of Php 2,000 each and trophies for the 2nd placers.

• Cash prize of Php 1,000 each and trophies for the 3rd placers.

• Special awards shall be given. The awards will be announced at the general

meeting of representatives of Special Projects Committee.

VIII. Criteria for Judging

The candidates shall be judged individually. BioMME 2014 will consist of two

rounds:

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A. Elimination Round

Judges Scores

Points Description

70 points Judges Scores

20 pts Creativity, Originality and Relevance to the Theme (Body

Painting and Props)

20 pts

FashOwn Wear portion (10% will come from preramp of

the outfit, 10% will come from the ramp portion for the

outfit)

15 pts Talent portion

10 pts School/ Organization Pride Wear portion

5 pts Audience Impact

Overall Votes

Points Percentage Description

30 pts 100 % Overall Votes

21 pts (70 %) Piso Votes

• Over the highest system; the highest will automatically get

21 pts

9 pts (30 %) Online Votes

• Over the highest system; the highest will automatically get

9 pts

B. Final Round

• The top 5 male and female candidates shall proceed to the Final Round which

will only consist of a Question and Answer portion. All of the scores for the

previous round will be disregarded. The judges will give a score ranging from 1

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to 10 (1 – lowest and 10 –highest). The judges’ scores shall be averaged and will

be considered as the final score of the candidate.

C. Judges

• The Judges of the Bio Mr. and Ms. Earth 2014 will be the Member Organization

Presidents of Biology Majors Alliance of the Philippines. However, they are not

entitled to judge the candidate/s hailing from their school; hence, the candidates

will only be receiving of seventeen (17) scores from the presidents of the

organizations. This is both for the elimination and the final rounds. If the school’s

representative to the Judges is not available during the pageant, he/she must

notify as early as possible the BioMME 2014 Organizing Team regarding his/her

duly appointed representative.

• Other judges will be invited for the event. These judges will come from

institutions related to biological sciences, experts in organizing and/or

participating in pageants, celebrities or famous individuals.

D. Voting Procedures

D.1 Manual Voting (Piso Votes)

• The voting period will begin on October 31, 2014 and will close on November 15,

2014

• The piso-votes shall be separate for the male and the female candidates of each

school.

• One peso is worth one vote. Piso Votes shall be remitted on a November 15,

2014 to the BMAP Finance Committee on the BioMME 2014 General Rehearsal.

• Only the percentages of Piso Votes shall be posted online in the BMAP Executive

Board Group and BMAP Special Projects Committee Group before Biology

Students Summit 2014 and shown during the elimination round of BioMME 2014.

The schools and names of the candidates with the respective percentages of Piso

Votes shall be hidden until the announcement of the finalists.

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D.2 Online Voting (Facebook picture l ikes)

• The voting period shall begin on November 15 , 2014 and shall close on

November 21, 2014 (10:00 PM).

• The pictures of the BioMME candidates shall be posted online on the BMAP like

page.

• Only the likes on the individual photos of the candidates shall be considered as

online votes.

• One like shall be equivalent to one online vote.

IX. Miscellaneous Contest Guidelines

• A maximum of five minutes shall be given for each school during the talent

portion. This includes set-up time. The candidates of each school must perform

as a pair. There will be no limit on the number of back-up dancers/singers.

Representatives of each school must coordinate with the Logistics Committee of

Biology Students Summit 2014 regarding the lights and sounds during their

candidates’ performance.

• There will be one or two group production numbers that all the candidates are

required to participate in. This will be discussed and practiced-on during the

BioMME Orientation and General Rehearsal.

• The BioMME Orientation will be on October 25, while the General Rehearsal will

be on November 15.

• The venue for the General Rehearsal will be announced five (5) to seven (7) days

before the actual day of rehearsal. Contestants are advised to wear sporty

clothing and to bring extra clothes, face towels, and their own drinking water. For

very special cases wherein the contestant/s cannot attend the rehearsal, the

organization must send a representative who’ll learn the dance steps for the

production number, memorize the flow of the program and teach it to their

candidate/s.

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• Other announcements regarding the rehearsal will be made at least two (2) days

before the rehearsal.

• A maximum of two minutes shall be given for each finalist to answer during the

Question and Answer portion.

• Paint and other materials to be used shall be provided by the participating

biology organizations. BMAP will not be held liable for any forms of harm,

injuries, or damages the body-paint will cause to the contestants.

• The pageant will be held on November 22, 2014 in Biology Students Summit

2014 at UST Med Auditorium.

X. Photo shoot and Orientation Guidelines

A. Photo shoot Guidelines

• All member organizations are required to submit the following:

o One solo photo each and one couple shot on a white background. These

photos will be treated as the official photos of the candidates. Thus, they

should be approved by your organization’s president before sending

them to the BioMME Organizing Team. Also, please make sure that these

photos are of high quality (preferably shot by a DSLR/SLR camera).

! All requirements stated above can be submitted from October 19

to October 30, 2014 only.

• Body painting for the photo shoot shall be a half-body depiction of assigned

biomes/ecosystem for both male and female candidates.

• A maximum of four (4) artists shall be allowed to work on each candidate. Artists

should be members of the organization that their candidates represent. Names

of artists must be sent to the BioMME 2014 organizing team through each

member school’s BMAP Special Projects Committee Representative.

• Documentations like videos or photos regarding the body painting will be

required for acknowledgement that the body painting was done by the said

artists.

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• Leotards and tube tops are to be enforced for female candidates; male

candidates may wear sando or may go topless.

• Paint for the photo shoot shall be provided by the participating organizations.

• Only the upper body of the models would be photographed and be included in

the official photo to be used for the online voting.

• Props are allowed for the pageant photo shoot as long as it does not significantly

cover the body painting of the candidate.

• The official photos of the candidates shall be posted in the like page of Biology

Majors Alliance of the Philippines and shall be the basis for the online votes as

well as for some special awards.

• Questions and reconsiderations regarding the guidelines of the photo shoot

shall be raised to the BioMME Organizing Team and their decision shall be

deemed final.

B. Orientation Guidelines

• The Official BioMME Orientation is a one-day session aiming to inform the

contestants (or their representatives) of what to expect with this year’s pageant

as well as other necessary changes, reminders, and clarifications on pageant

rules, criteria, program flow, and the like. An open forum session will also be

held.

• The organization’s president will be informed of the venue for the orientation five

(5) to seven (7) days before.

• The orientation is set to be on October 25, 2014.

• Attendees should bring pen, paper or notebook, and at least one (1) printed

copy of the Official BioMME 2014 Mechanics.

• Other announcements regarding the orientation will be made at least two (2)

days before the orientation.

C. FashOwn Show Guidelines

• The official name for this fashion show is FashOwn: Fashion Your Own

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• The contestants are to wear clothing made of recyclable materials.

• There will be an assigned list of the recyclable materials to use. The list includes:

1. Newspapers and magazines

2. Plastic Bottles

3. Used CDs

4. Foil wraps of chips and snacks

• A 5th material is also to be utilized in the clothing. This random material will be

announced by the BioMME 2014 committee on the orientation on October 25,

2014

• Also, each pair of candidates is allowed to use 1 yard of any cloth of their choice

for the outfit.

• The pieces of clothing fashioned from the recyclable materials must be original

and unique. Also, they must embody the theme of BioMME 2014 and/or Biology

Students Summit 2014.

• Other mechanics for FashOwn show will be discussed on October 25, 2014.

• The member-schools are responsible for the sponsoring and making of the

pieces of clothing. Should there be any concerns, queries, or other remarks with

the Official BioMME 2014 Mechanics, you may reach the BioMME Organizing

Team through the following contact details:

VP for Special Projects Edrian Pingol – 0906 770 8975

AVP for Special Projects Noreen Mendoza – 09159975271

AVP for Special Projects Aduen Zulueta – 09061520567

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I. About BioSeminar2014

In line with BMAP's primary objective of igniting the interest of young biologists

to the different fields of the biological sciences, BMAP holds the annual

BioSeminar as one of the events in the Biology Students Summit. Each year,

BMAP invites speakers from different branches of biology to enlighten the

students regarding the practical applications and impact of these fields. This

year, in line with the theme for the Biology Students Summit 2014, which is

"Discovering New Frontiers, Embracing Limitless Possibilities', we invited

innovators and movers to speak regarding the emerging trends in biology

(micro-RNA application, molecular genetics, molecular phylogenetics, etc).

II. Objectives

The main objective of BioSeminar 2014 is to advance academic pursuits in the

field of the biological sciences. In line with this, BioSeminar 2014 aims to re-ignite

the passion of young biologists that will aim to encourage them to venture into a

career in biology.

III. Small Group Discussion

As part of further developing the BioSeminar experience, we have added

another part to the program which is the Small Group Discussion (SGD). The

SGD aims to promote intellectual discussion among the attendees on how we, as

young biologists, can contribute to our country's sustainable development. The

attendees will be divided into pre-determined groups and together with a

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facilitator, they will be answering several guide questions that aims to create a

picture of the role of the young Filipino biologist in national development.

Ultimately, this aims to further solidify the idea that biology is indeed needed to

pave the way for sustainable development.

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