Maxim Maiev

          In the decades ahead, science will be a cornerstone of humanity’s capacity to respond to existential challenges and steer societal progress. From climate change to pandemics, evidence-based research and innovation will determine whether communities adapt or collapse. The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) emphasizes that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are unequivocally driving warming, with increasingly severe and widespread climate impacts predicted unless deep, rapid, and sustained mitigation is achieved (IPCC, 2023). Without science guiding adaptation, mitigation, and resilience strategies, societies risk falling behind in protecting infrastructure, livelihoods, and ecosystems.           But science is not just about managing crises — it shapes everyday life. Advances in medicine, materials, computing, and energy systems improve well-being, elevate productivity, and widen opportunity. However, these gain...

          The Philippines is one of the countries most affected by climate change, experiencing stronger typhoons, rising sea levels, and threats to agriculture and public health. Its location in the Pacific “typhoon belt” exposes millions to extreme weather events, while many Filipinos relying on farming and fishing see their livelihoods endangered by droughts and flooding. Climate change also imposes heavy economic costs, worsening poverty and inequality even though the Philippines contributes minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions (World Bank, 2024).           Despite these challenges, Filipinos have shown remarkable resilience. The government has developed plans like the National Adaptation Plan and People’s Survival Fund to strengthen disaster preparedness and climate adaptation (Philstar, 2024). Communities lead mangrove reforestation, disaster risk reduction initiatives, and sustainable farming practices (Greenpeac...

     On September 4-6, 2025, Ilocos Sur National High School’s intramurals started with a bang. This year, I participated not as an athlete, but as a volunteer medic. The day before the intramurals, the ISNHS Red Cross Youth Council hosted a training for learning first aid, and I’m grateful to have been able to attend. Thanks to this, I was able to join the team of volunteers in assisting the players in any possible injuries they may sustain.      Helping others is not only a passion, but a way of life. For me, helping these athletes heal and overcome these physical challenges that they face on and off the court, is a responsibility I’m unable to shake off. Even so, it’s not a responsibility that I see nor carry as a burden, but as a responsibility that I’ve held dearly since I was a child. In a way, it’s just like how athletes see the way they play as a responsibility. They’re responsible for how they carry themselves, how they interact with teammates and ...