The local government of Marikina has inked a pact with the Department of Science and Technology-National Capital Region and the Department of Education to promote science, technology, and innovation as its local officials urged the city's youth to pursue science-related programs and increase enrollment in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro  said the program — dubbed as "Push4Science: Marikeños Exploring Science, Technology and Innovation Change through STEM" — seeks to enable the youth to discover the various opportunities that STEM offers, including scholarships and careers, in the form of mentoring, campaigns, demonstrations, film screenings and training.

"The Push4Science initiative is not really a campaign. It is a call to action. A beaconing towards a future where the brilliance of Marikina's youth, our students who are present today, is harnessed for the betterment of our community and beyond," Teodoro said.

"At the heart of the Push4Science campaign lies the commitment to propel our senior high school students towards excellence by becoming DoST scholars through targeted trainings," he added.

Apart from the various programs spearheaded by the local government, it also rakes in awards and the latest was the 2022 Good Financial Housekeeping award given by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in April this year.

The recognition comes after the Marikina LGU complied with financial transparency and fiscal accountability as the DILG conferred Marikina — under the leadership of Teodoro — with the Mark of Recognition for passing the 2022 GFH assessment.