𝐒𝐏𝐂 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐭. 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭’𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦; 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨, 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐩𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲

San Pedro College (SPC) hosted pharmacy students from Thailand’s Silpakorn University (SU) at Philomene Labrecque (PL) Hall on Nov. 27, the opening ceremony of a five-day international student exchange program.

Partners of the SPC pharmacy department included the School of Allied Health Sciences (SAHS), JPPhA Chi-Pharmakon Chapter, the International Students Organization (ISO), and the Internationalization and Linkages Office.

SPC Vice President for Academics Ana Julia Enero and SU Associate Dean for Educational Affairs Namfon Sribundit signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which symbolized a partnership founded on the same vision for the field of Pharmacy, promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SGD), and drive for development.

Panoopat Poompruek, Associate Dean for Student Development and Alumni Relations at SU, recalled how the program began with a single conversation and a summer school exchange participated by SPC pharmacy students James Martinez and Trexie Jan Grande.

“I think that in the future, we will have more collaboration [including] academic activities [and] student activities — online or on-site,” Poompruek said.

Setting up the visit, ISO taught the SU delegates common Bisaya phrases essential in navigating Davao City and introduced kakanin favorites such as puto, kutsinta, and biko.

This was followed by a tour around the human anatomy laboratory, showcasing cadavers and preserved organs, and the SECTRA room, a digital adjunct for studying anatomy.

SU delegates then practiced manufacturing pharmacy procedures at RDL pharmaceuticals.

Finally, ISO capped off the first day with a salu-salo featuring games such as the ‘boat is sinking’, ‘sisira ang bulaklak’, ‘doctor quack quack’, and ‘hep hep hooray’, as well as a karaoke and budots session during dinner.

In an interview, pharmacy faculty member and event head Abel John Amatong remarked that this milestone is historic for the pharmacy department as it was preceded by four years of sending their own representatives to Thailand.

“This event signifies not just an exchange of students but an exchange of ideas, perspectives, [and] learning not just about the healthcare system of the Philippines, but also [of] our shared purpose,” he concluded.

Amatong also expressed the potential for a faculty exchange born out of the partnership.

The remaining duration of the program will be dedicated to more pharmacy lectures, city tours, practical exposures, and cross-cultural activities between the two parties.

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