The UP Association of Biology Majors (UP ABM) from the Institute of Biology, UP Diliman is an organization that promotes academic, social, and moral development through its various projects and initiatives throughout the year. One of UP ABM’s most well-known academic initiatives is the Pencil Project.
Pencil Project is a flagship event of the organization, rooted in its aim to promote academic excellence and development among its members as well as the communities they serve. This annual outreach initiative is conducted every UPCAT season to collect both used and unused pencils from UPCAT takers, which are then donated to selected public elementary schools within Quezon City. The project promotes the continued use of the pencils instead of breaking them, a longstanding and wasteful exam tradition.
The initiative began as a small academic advocacy in 2013 and has gradually expanded its scope over the years. Last year, with the tagline “Don’t break it, donate it,” the organization, together with the Industrial Engineering Club, collected 8,573 pencils from 11 UPCAT testing centers in UP Diliman, which were donated to four selected schools. The 2025 edition of the project also led to the organization being nominated for the 2026 Parangal sa Samahang Mag-aaral of UP Diliman.
This year, UP ABM will once again write a new chapter for the Pencil Project. The 2026 edition will cover the entire UP Diliman campus and aims to collect an even larger number of pencils from 24 testing centers. Together with the UP Diliman Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, Industrial Engineering Club, Pre-Medical Honor Society of UP Diliman, as well as VioLabs Laboratory Supplies, Diamed Enterprise, and Laura’s Food Corporation, Pencil Project 2026 will take place on August 1 and 2 in UP Diliman.
Following last year’s superhero theme, Pencil Project 2026 will dive into the world of wizards, where UPCAT takers, with a touch of the magic their pencils carry, can help cast a wonderful spell of learning.
