By Marie Rose Subdi
Los Baños, Laguna— Zeri Grace Dampulas, a first-year Forensic Science student, represented the University of Baguio at the The Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions #DevelopmentTalk2025 or #DevTalk2025 last November 15, 2025. The CARD-MRI works to eradicate poverty by providing microfinance, microinsurance, education, and other social development services, primarily to socially and economically challenged individuals and families. This mission strongly aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, as CARD-MRI works to uplift marginalized communities and expand access to essential socio-economic opportunities. The #DevelopmentTalk2025 (#DevTalk2025) was an extemporaneous Speech competition focused on poverty eradication, geared to amplify youth voices in addressing the problem.
DevTalk2025 hosted various participating schools, including Ifugao State University, University of Batangas, University of Northern Philippines, University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Mindoro State University, Laguna College, CARD MRI Development Institute, Phinma University of Pangasinan, and Mariano Marcos State University. The event also allowed participants to witness how CARD-MRI’s initiatives reflect their long-standing commitment to sustainable development, echoing SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals through community engagement, capacity-building efforts, and nationwide member tours. After the speech competition, they guided the participants on a heritage tour in various notable places around Laguna.
Ms. Dampulas’ speech wowed the crowd with a striking story of her parents’ struggle to obtain an education, highlighting how quality education transforms lives. Her message strongly resonated with SDG 4: Quality Education, emphasizing that equitable, inclusive, and lifelong learning opportunities are crucial to breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty. She concluded by calling for comprehensive reform and emphasizing that education can break the cycle of poverty—a central issue for all participants.
The university’s participation underscored its commitment to SDGs 1, 4, and 17, demonstrating leadership in reducing poverty and inequality. It also empowered students to champion inclusive education and build partnerships for sustainable development. Ms. Dampulas shared that the event was more than a competition, saying, “On top of that, the competition taught me so much more—the value of courage, stepping out of my
comfort zone, and embracing opportunities. It reminded me to continue improving myself academically and personally because there’s more to unlock, more opportunities to take, and more challenges to face.”
Lastly, Ms. Dampulas expressed her gratitude to CARD-MRI and the University of Baguio for allowing her to experience, empower, and be empowered.
