The Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (Mapúa MCM) Office for Corporate Partnerships – Center for Career and Placement successfully conducted the Employer in the Classroom Program (ECP) with the theme “In the Circular Economy, There Is No Waste: Upcycling Food Leftover to Valuable Products” on May 20, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM. The hybrid event, held both onsite at the Mapúa MCM and online, brought together BS Biology students from first to third year to learn about real-world applications of sustainability and ecological principles in the industry. This initiative aimed to connect classroom theories with environmental practices, encouraging innovation and action-oriented thinking among future biology professionals. 

The event featured a keynote talk from Mr. Peter Damary, Founder and CEO of LimaDOL under FiveDOL Upcycling Corp., who shared his journey as a sustainability advocate and entrepreneur. Mr. Damary emphasized the value of passion and motivation in building successful green ventures. “What I’ve been learning by doing this now for four years is that to be successful, you need to be very motivated. You need to have a passion for what you are doing. I have that passion for the environment, for trying to minimize climate change… You need to identify a need and a gap in the market,” he said, inspiring students to pursue purposeful innovation in addressing environmental challenges. 

This Employer in the Classroom Program supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 4 (Quality Education) by enhancing academic learning through industry exposure; SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by introducing students to sustainable career opportunities; SDG 13 (Climate Action) through advocacy on food waste reduction and climate responsibility; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by strengthening collaboration between educational institutions and industry leaders. Through such initiatives, the institution continues to nurture environmentally conscious and industry-ready professionals equipped to contribute to a sustainable future.