Pisay relates the stories of eight Philippine Science High School (PSHS) students during the volatile 1980s when the Philippines was in its greatest moment in history – as the Marcos Dictatorship is ousted by the 1986 People Power Revolution to Cory Aquino’s New Government. It is the coming-of-age tale in a time filled with excitement, conflict and change. Pisay revolves around the lives of Rom, son of a fi sh vendor and an overseas contract worker; Wena, daughter of the landowning Ledesmas; Mat, the pudgy, amorous provincial champion who has trouble in Math; friendly Minggoy, who always seems to get himself involved with everything; Liway, daughter of anti-dictatorship activists; Andy, the listless cadet military trainee; Daki, the science genius; and Euri, the boy with artistic flair trapped in a Science high school. They were part of the top two hundred students from all over the Philippines who passed the examination for admission to PSHS, which was created for the purpose of giving an education enriched in the Sciences to exceptionally gifted Filipino children. “Pisay” is the nickname given by the students to their school; an abbreviation of Philippine Science or Phil Sci. Selected from the best and brightest from this poor country, they endure college-level courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Their stories are woven around the four years of high school, and into the Science and Math courses they undergo – veritably the most advanced curriculum in the country at the time – and their relationships with each other, their teachers, and ultimately, the school and its social milieu.