Fifty-six incoming freshies from the College of Economics and Management (CEM) completed the special Math Bridge Program held from July 11 to Aug 11, 2023.

This year’s Math Bridge Program is its fourth installation and the first time the event has been conducted face-to-face since its formation in 2020.

The CEM BP is a fruit of the collaboration between the CEM and UPLB Learning Resource Center (LRC). The program was designed to enhance the skills of incoming CEM freshies and prepare them for the Math courses in the college’s curricula.

It mainly aims to enhance their foundation in calculus for MATH 25 (Fundamental Calculus), which is taken during their first semester in the incoming academic year 2023-2024.

During the one-month skills-enhancement activity, selected incoming freshies across the three (3) degree programs of CEM went through comprehensive lessons and exercises to hone their fundamental skills and understanding of college calculus.

The bridgers were divided into three sections: Math C1, Math C2, and Math C3. The BP classes were held in the CEM building, and their instructors are members of the CEM faculty–Micko Jay S. Bajamundi, Krizal John C. Espacio, and Mark Allien D. Roble.

The culmination of the CEM Bridge Program was marked by the recognition ceremony held on Aug 11, 2023, at the UPLB Rural Economic Development and Renewable Energy Center (REDREC) Auditorium.
LRC Director John Mervin L. Embate gave the opening remarks for the event and thanked the students for completing the program and the CEM faculty for their participation and for being assertive in supporting their college’s incoming freshies.

CEM Dean Agham C. Cuevas gave his special message to the bridgers and lauded them for accomplishing this feat. He officially welcomed the freshies into the university and called them Iskolar ng Bayan. He hoped the students would carry the things they learned during the one-month enhancement activity onto their college life.
Following it was the awarding of certificates, wherein the CEM bridgers were awarded certificates of completion and the top-performing students of each section were recognized and given a medal.
The top-performing students per Math section were Isaac J. Merioles Jr. for C1, Kate Ashley M. Cariaga for Math section C2, and Elizah Maria M. Sajonas for Math section C3. The overall best in Math was Isaac J. Merioles Jr., who garnered a final grade of 99.00% or 1.00.
The faculty-tutors were also awarded certificates of appreciation for their invaluable support and guidance to the students throughout the program.

Br. Neil Z. Peña, a bridge program participant in 2014, gave his testimony and shared his experiences with the program and how it helped prepare and equip him with valuable knowledge and skills when he entered the university.

The recognition ceremony concluded with the closing remarks of Jonas, wherein he officially welcomed the bridgers as bonafide UPLB students and bid them a successful and fruitful academic journey in the university. (Chelsea Pauline M. De Vera & Joshua Michael G. Jonas)