2025 Midyear Internship Program

Photo collage by: David Andrei Mendoza, NCPAG

The Data Science for Public Policy Program (DSPPP) received an overwhelming response to its Midyear 2025 Internship Application call, with 90 email applications in just two weeks. During the Internship Orientation held on June 2, 47 students participated, divided into 17 voluntary and 30 academically required internship interests. Strengthening its role as a training ground for future professionals, the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) formalized partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the UPLB Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics, UP Diliman National College of Public Administration and Governance, and the UP Diliman Department of Computer Science, officially becoming a Host Training Establishment (HTE).

A total of 24 interns from four UP campuses, i.e., UP Los Baños, UP Cebu, UP Mindanao, and UP Diliman—were deployed to various CIDS programs, including Alternative Development (2), Program on Social and Political Change (2), Food Security (1), Urban Studies (1), and DSPPP (18). The internship program culminated on July 31, 2025, with 21 interns receiving their Certificates of Completion. In recognition of their contributions, all interns were also awarded Certificates of Appreciation and Special Recognition for exemplary performance during their assignments.

Snippets of insights from our interns worth sharing….

This internship may not have been what I expected in terms of technical rigor, but it gave me a deeper understanding of how data science intersects with public policy in real- world settings. And more importantly, it showed me that even in tasks that seem far from numbers and algorithms, there is always room to grow and contribute meaningfully.- Angie Lou Bajado, BS Statistics, UPD

My overall experience during the internship was pretty good! The DSPPP staff are very nice and welcoming and my fellow interns allowed me to make new friends and lasting connections. I like to think that I learned a lot during my stay, particularly in terms of my responsibilities and capabilities should I eventually join the workforce. There were some hiccups and stresses along the way, but it wasn’t bad enough to make me regret my choices.- Kyle Matthew Martinez, BS Computer Science, UPD

There are some aspects that need improvement but overall, the internship was able to deliver upon their promises from the internship orientation. I learned a lot from this internship and I hope that the UP CIDS Internship Program continues to give other students the opportunities that I was able to receive. This has been a great internship experience.- Cyril Apelo, BS Applied Mathematics, UPLB

It was an honor to be seen. It was an honor to have that level of autonomy. I reduced my jokes and complaints; and I acted more and more like a Head Intern until the graduation time. That Head Intern saw all of the interns’ ideas about “data science” throughout those two months. I indeed connected with like-minded people who are nerdy about computers, data, and public policy. That’s where I saw myself. That Head Intern saw how hard her supervisor and other staff in the office have been working hard. That Head Intern is returning to Davao with a renewed sense of purpose, and part of that is thanks to her very jolly, outgoing, funny, and pretty-like-me supervisor, Ma’am Lilz. Your smiles really make the office a good atmosphere to work with. You’re that very cool, Gen-Z-like mother figure to all of us.- Meelo Piezas, BS Data Science, UP Mindanao