DLSU Faculty and Students Participate in IEICES 2025 Conference at Kyushu University

 Last October 30–31, 2025, faculty members and students from DLSU participated in the 11th International Exchange and Innovation Conference on Engineering & Sciences (IEICES 2025) held at Kyushu University, Japan.

Among the 136 paper presentations, Dr. Joenel Galupino was awarded Best Presenter for their research titled “Effect of Bermuda Grass Roots on the Shear Strength of Soil.”

Paper Presentations

 Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete with Pyrolyzed Spent Coffee Grounds

Cheryl Lyne C. Roxas, Kenneth Jae T. Elevado, Nicanor R. Roxas Jr., Sebastian O. Chenglay, Patrick Ryan M. Estacio, Jason Jeffrie H. Ngo, Sydney N. Chan.

Utilization of Chicken Feather Ash as Partial Replacement for Cement with Coconut Shells as Coarse Aggregates

Patrick Miel G. Cordova, Angello Francis C. Magno, Therese Ysabela S. Resulta, Daniel Nichol R. Valerio, Ma. Klarissa M. Daly.

Effect of Bermuda Grass Roots on the Shear Strength of Soil

Joenel Galupino, Ram Voltaire Gonzaga, Geofferson Montemayor, Erica Elice Uy.

An Analysis on Camera Pose Estimations Based on Varying Physical Variables of ArUco Markers

Nicanor R. Roxas Jr., Aron Jake P. Vidad, Rudwin Paul B. Abastillas, Renann G. Baldovino, Nilo T. Bugtai, Elmer P. Dadios, Ryan Rhay P. Vicerra, Argel A. Bandala, Aaron Raymond See.

Poster Presentations 

Laboratory Soil Classification and Analysis of Index Soil Properties of a Site in San Juan City, Philippines

Kevin C. Tan, Patrick Matthew T. Chua, Rongxuan Hou, Joenel G. Galupino, Erica Elice S. Uy, Jomari Tan, Rainier Lawrence Valdez, Daniel Valerio.

Comparative Analysis of Sustainable Materials in Construction Using PRISMA Method

Joaquin Alexis Acosta, Emmanuel Macalalad, Aizen Po, Danielle Nathan Yang, Joenel Galupino, Irene Ubay-Anongphouth, Daniel Valerio, Rainier Lawrence Valdez, Cielo Frianeza.

Research Trends in the Use of Eggshell Powder for Soil Stabilization: A Review-Based Analysis

Zachary Job Yuipco, Justine Buenaseda, Jheram Gabriel de Borja, Melrose Oriel, Joenel Galupino, Irene Olivia Ubay-Anongphouth.

A Hypothetical Community-Based Green Space Model for Barangay 20 and Barangay 275 in the Pasig River Port Area

Carlos Mariano, Mickael Cucio, Mikaela Guerra, Megan Bagtasa, Cielo Frianeza, Joenel Galupino, Irene Ubay-Anongphouth, Lawrence Valdez, Daniel Valerio.

Emerging Microstructural Insights in Soil Stabilization: SEM and EDX Applications in Geotechnical Engineering

Justine Buenaseda, Jheram Gabriel de Borja, Job Yuipco, Melrose Oriel, Irene Olivia Ubay-Anongphouth, Joenel Galupino.

Trends in the Ongoing Research Regarding the Role of Xanthan Gum in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering

Rongxuan Hou, Patrick Matthew T. Chua, Kevin Cosing Tan, Joenel Galupino, Erica Elice Uy, Jomari Tan, Rainier Lawrence Valdez, Daniel Valerio.

A Comprehensive Mapping and Assessment of the Evolution of River Rehabilitation Research

Mickael Cucio, Megan Bagtasa, Mikaela Guerra, Carlos Mariano, Cielo Frianeza, Joenel Galupino, Rainier Ubay-Anongphouth, Lawrence Valdez, Daniel Valerio.

A Thematic Review of Seismic-Induced Slope Instability and Road Robustness Research in the Philippines

Joseph Benjamin Canayon, Ricalyn Nebrida, Joben Manuel Octavo, Neil Patrick Portales, Joenel Galupino, Cris Angelo Fernandez.

Application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process in Selecting Natural Fibers for Limited-Life Geosynthetics

Arianne Suzane T. Ang, Sophia Monique O. Chan, Coleen Annika T. Paterno, Erica Elice S. Uy, Joenel G. Galupino, Daniel Nichol Valerio, Rainier Lawrence Valdez.

A Water Quality Analysis of the Pasig River in Manila City, Philippines

Megan Bagtasa, Mickael Cucio, Mikaela Guerra, Carlos Mariano, Cielo Frianeza, Joenel Galupino, Irene Ubay-Anongphouth, Rainier Valdez, Daniel Valerio.

Design and Slope Stability Assessment of a Proposed Sanitary Landfill in the Philippines

Joben Manuel Octavo, Joenel Galupino, Miller Cutora, Joseph Benjamin Canayon, Ricalyn Nebrida, Neil Patrick Portales, Monical Azalea Quimson

Characterization of Index Properties of Biochar Made from Rice Hull for Permeability Test

Joshua Talento, Jan Andrei Olayon, Alexandra Gaile Samson, Jaime Salvador Clamor, Joenel Galupino, Irene Olivia Ubay-Anongphouth.

Characterization of Index Properties of Coarse-Grained Alluvial Soils for Permeability Test

Jan Andrei Olayon, Joshua Talento, Alexandra Gaile Samson, Jaime Salvador Clamor, Joenel Galupino, Irene Olivia Ubay-Anongphouth. 

Characterization of Index Properties of Low Plasticity Clay for Permeability Test

Alexandra Gaile Samson, Jan Andrei Olayon, Joshua Talento, Jaime Salvador Clamor, Joenel Galupino, Irene Olivia Ubay-Anongphouth. 

Estimation of Strength Envelope of Rocks in the Athens Schist Formation

Neil Patrick Portales, Joseph Benjamin Canayon, Ricalyn Nebrida, Joben Manuel Octavo, Erica Elice Uy, Joenel Galupino. 

Effect of Clamp Confinement on the Bearing Capacity of Mortar Infill Bolted Q-Connection for Bambusa Blumeana

Maria Fe V. Adier, Luis Felipe Lopez, David Trujillo, Jason Maximino C. Ongpeng.

Strength Development Assessment of Banana Leaf Ash and Lime Mixture in Clayey Sand Soils

Henri Haggai Y. Cua, Julianne Carissa C. Ferrer, Kyle Vincent T. Go, Eddryck Benjamin C. Yao, Irene Olivia Ubay-Anongphouth. 

Experimental Investigation of Musa Textilis Nee (Abaca) Textile-Reinforced Mortar as a Strengthening Material of Concrete Elements

Earl Gerald Gregorio, Ephraim De Gracia, Julius Leaño Jr., Andres Winston Oreta, Jason Maximino Ongpeng.

Riparian Plants and Their Hypothetical Impacts on the Restoration and Rehabilitation of the Pasig River: A Thematic Study

Mikaela Guerra, Megan Bagtasa, Mickael Cucio, Carlos Mariano, Cielo Frianeza, Joenel Galupino, Irene Ubay-Anongphouth, Rainier Valdez, Daniel Valerio. 

Development and Performance Evaluation of Magnesium Hydroxide Coatings Derived from “Natural” Seawater

Andrea Joy D. Abergas, Jozette Nicole R. Ardiente, Ahmed Mujahib D. Ramos, Aaron Johann L. Tan, Kenneth Jae T. Elevado, Nicanor R. Roxas Jr., Cheryl Lyne C. Roxas. 

Mechanical Property of Philippines’ Bambusa Blumeana Treated with Flame: An Experimental Study

Charlene May N. Rivera, Kim Aldrin Mejia, Daniel Nichol R. Valerio, Jason Maximino C. Ongpeng.

Prediction of Mechanical Properties of Bambusa Blumeana Bamboo Culms Using Non-Destructive Indicating Properties

Robert Andrei Eliezer Pilapil, Jason Maximino Ongpeng, Daniel Nichol Valerio.

Predictive Maintenance Algorithm for Machine Failure Using Fuzzy Logic Techniques

Ken Sammuel I. Camacho, Michael Leander P. Roque, Ryan Rhay P. Vicerra, Nilo T. Bugtai.

Structural Investigation of Pipe Sleeve Errors in RC Beams Using FEM: A Case Study

Mary Joanne C. Aniñon, Bernardo A. Lejano.

Evaluation of the Shear Strength of Clayey Sand Treated with Lignin Biopolymer

Erica Elice S. Uy, Jomari F. Tan, Liam Joshua T. Chua, Karl Stephen B. Estacio, Santiago T. Gazmin, Julienne Bettina V. Ulit. 

Evaluating the Research Landscape of Earth Blocks in Sustainable Construction: A Bibliometric Analysis (2000–2024)

Enrico Encomienda, Kyla Evangelista, Francia Palatino, Cullen Villareal, Daniel Valerio, Joenel Galupino. 

Free Water Surface Constructed Wetlands Area Estimation Through River Flow Interpolation

Miguel Antonio Campos, John Kristoffer Chua, Sophia Claudette Gaudia, Nicanor Jr. Chan, Sergi Garbanzos, Marla Maniquiz-Redillas. 

Soil Loss Modeling of the Porac River Basin Using RUSLE Based on LULC Projection Using CA-ANN in MOLUSCE

Kent Joshua San Pedro, Sergi Garbanzos, Marla Maniquiz-Redillas.

 

The conference featured a strong representation from DLSU across both paper and poster sessions, showcasing cutting-edge research in civil, geotechnical, environmental, and materials engineering.

DLSU Civil Engg participates at CECAR10 - Jeju, South Korea. One Best Paper Awardee.

 De La Salle University students and faculty proudly represented the Philippines at the 10th Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region (CECAR10), held from October 21–24, 2025 at the International Convention Center (ICC) Jeju, South Korea. The event gathered leading experts, researchers, and professionals from across the Asian Region to share their research works under the theme “Sustainable Management and Resilient Technology (SMaRT) in Civil Engineering.”

This year, the conference had its 10th iteration, where De La Salle University showcased its commitment to research excellence and sustainable development through the participation of both students and faculty members, presenting papers aligned with the conference’s focus on resilience and innovation. Around 508 participants attended six plenary sessions and presented in various parallel sessions. Of which, 34 entries came from the Philippines and 7 of those come from De La Salle University.

DLSU participants and oral presentation titles:

1. Assessment of the Sediment Removal and Stormwater Runoff Reduction  Performance of Agro-Industrial Materials in Biofilters – Justine Rey Macalalad, Camille Ann Rose Galutira, Ryuo Skye Agra, and Marla Maniquiz-Redillas
2. Self-Healing Concrete with Two-Component Macro-Encapsulated Epoxy: Comprehensive Experimental Investigations - Jade Ching and Bernardo Lejano
3. Mapping the Vulnerability to Coastal Hazards of Island Municipalities: The Case of Boracay Island, Aklan, Philippines – Robert Tampus and Andres Oreta
4. The Development of Rainwater Harvesting and Water Conservation Policies in the Philippines – A Comprehensive Review and Analysis, Rizelle Angela D. Koch, Justine Rey Macalalad, Sergi Garbanzos, and Marla Maniquiz-Redillas
5. Developing a Conceptual Framework and Checklist to Assess Structural Engineers' Contributions to Quality of Life – Andres Oreta and Rannie Ison
6. Access to Public Transport in Relation to Social and Economic Facilities: The Case of Guimaras Province, Philippines – Alexis Fillone
7. Preliminary Results of the RainS-TECH Project: Rainfall, Sediment Accumulation, and Stream Quality - Marla Maniquiz-Redillas and Sergi Garbanzos

Across 69 parallel sessions, 17 students were selected as the recipients of the Best Paper Award. The Philippines has two awardees. Engr. Justine Rey V. Macalalad from DLSU is one of the two awardees, given in the closing ceremony of the CECAR10 Conference.

CECAR is recognized as one of Asia’s most respected civil engineering conferences. With its inception in 1998 through the first-ever CECAR conference held in Manila, Philippines under the organization of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE), the triennial event has served as a vital platform for advancing collaboration and knowledge-sharing in infrastructure, sustainability, and resilience across the region and the world. Its legacy continues to strengthen through the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council (ACECC), which unites civil engineering organizations from various countries
 

Engr. Justine Rey Macalalad presenting his oral presentation on the Environmental and Water Resources (Environmental Aspects in Water Resources) Session

Ms. Jade Ching on her oral presentation on the Construction Materials (Concrete I) Session

Engr. Robert Michael Tampus with his oral presentation on the Coastal and Port Engineering Session

 

Engr. Sergi Garbanzos with his oral presentation on the Environmental and Water Resources (Water Management II) Session

Dr. Marla C. Maniquiz-Redillas with her oral presentation on the Sustainable Development (Management II) Session

Dr. Alexis Fillone on his oral presentation on the Transportation II Session

Dr. Andres Winston Oreta with his oral presentation on the Sustainable Development (Management I) Session

Engr. Justine Rey Macalalad as he receives the Best Paper Award together with other awardees at the Closing Ceremony

Engr. Justine Rey Macalalad with Engr. Sergi Garbanzos (left) and Dr. Marla Maniquiz-Redillas (right) with the Best Paper Award

The participation of De La Salle University in CECAR10 underscores the institution's dedication towards the advancement of civil engineering research and addresses regional challenges in sustainability, climate resilience, and infrastructure development. By engaging with professionals around the world, the Lasallian community continues to foster innovation and contribute sustainable solutions to the pressing environmental and engineering issues of today. 

DLSU Department of Civil Engineering Team after the conference closing ceremony

 

DLSU Secures Prestigious Structural Innovation Award at IDEERS 2025 in Taiwan

 Oct 2, 2025 – De La Salle University-Manila (DLSU) brought home a prestigious honor from the 2025 International Introducing and Demonstrating Earthquake Engineering Research (IDEERS) competition, held from September 30 to October 1, 2025, at the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) in Taiwan.

The DLSU team, competing for the first time at the undergraduate level, was awarded the coveted “Structural Design and Innovation Award” for their model, “The Archer”.

The achievement is a significant milestone, as the DLSU team was the lone university from the Philippines to receive a special award at the event. The Structural Design and Innovation Award is a highly selective honor, granted to only six of the 49 participating universities from across Asia, recognizing the team’s exceptional and creative structural concept. This also marks a historic win for the university, being the first award secured by a DLSU undergraduate team on its maiden participation.

The DLSU team was represented by fourth-year BS Civil Engineering students specializing in Structural Engineering (CIV-STE): Daryll Hans Go, Aaron Glenn Escovilla, Lance Joshua Irisari, and Jeremy Wynn Kieffer Yaokasin, under the guidance of their mentor, Engr. Salvador Olaivar.

The DLSU team, Kieffer Yaokasin, Daryll Go, Lance Irisari, and Aaron Escovilla, with faculty advisor Engr. Salvador Olaivar

DLSU’s Daryll Go (third from the right) receiving the Structural Design and Innovation Award

The team’s entry boasted a design philosophy based on “controlled symmetry.” The tower featured a robust, symmetrically braced central spine engineered to provide the immense torsional rigidity required to support a cantilevered mass. Its innovative “pinwheel” column orientation, integrated truss network, and novel “arrow weld” jointing technique, devised to maximize connection surface area, together demonstrated an advanced understanding of load paths and seismic resistance.

While the tower’s forward-thinking design was its greatest strength, the team faced rigorous dynamic tests during the competition, consisting of four shaking rounds at increasing intensities of 400 gal, 600 gal, 700 gal, and 800 gal. The model did not advance past the first round, failing to resist the initial 400-gal earthquake. However, the experience provided invaluable learning and highlighted the challenging standards of the global competition. Winning the structural innovation award, based solely on the design’s outstanding merit, underscores the quality and ingenuity of the team’s engineering concept.

DLSU Team’s model tower, “The Archer,” and its exhibit poster, presenting the winning structural design.

Daryll Go, team leader, described the journey as both a challenge and a triumph. “Participating in IDEERS pushed us to bridge the gap between classroom theory and a high-stakes practical challenge. While we were disappointed not to pass the 400 gal test, winning the Structural Innovation award was a tremendous honor, making our five-month preparation worthwhile. It validates our entire design process and proves that our ideas are competitive on an international stage.”

Engr. Salvador Olaivar, the team’s mentor from the Department of Civil Engineering, praised the students’ efforts, noting the support they received from the university. The team’s preparation was aided by the DLSU Structural Engineering division and laboratory, which provided crucial access to its own shake table for prototype testing. “The achievement is a testament to the students’ creativity, hard work, and resilience. The experience has been a powerful avenue for knowledge exchange and will inspire future Lasallian engineers to aim even higher.”

The team’s success at IDEERS 2025 reaffirms De La Salle University’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and producing world-class engineers capable of solving complex modern challenges.

DLSU CE Faculty Engr. Elevado Showcases Research at ISIE 2025 Conference in Singapore

 

The International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE) holds biennial conferences. On June 30–July 4, 2025, the 12^th International Conference on Industrial Ecology (ISIE 2025) was held at the National University of Singapore, with a theme of interconnectivity — how industry, society, governance, and the environment depend on one another. Discussions spanned every scale of human settlement and emphasized the circular material and political relationships that define industrial ecology.

Engr. Kenneth Elevado, a faculty member of the Department of Civil Engineering at De La Salle University (DLSU) and a PhD student at Nagoya University, presented a paper titled “Estimation of Material Stocks of National Roads in the Philippines,” on behalf of his co-authors: Dr. Marianne Faith Martinico-Perez (Nagoya University), Prof. Anthony SF Chiu (DLSU), and Prof. Hiroki Tanikawa (Nagoya University). Their participation to the Conference was supported by the Asian Satellite Campuses Institute (ASCI) of Nagoya University.

 

More information on ISIE can be found here: https://www.is4ie.org/

In photo: Engr. Elevado (left) with one of his advisors, Prof. Masatoshi Hasegawa (right).

DLSU CE Faculty Engr. Kenneth Elevado: First Filipino Student Admitted to Nagoya University’s GSES Program

 On November 26, 2024, Engr. Kenneth Elevado attended the Entrance Ceremony for the incoming doctoral Filipino students admitted to the Transnational Doctoral Programs for Leading Professionals in Asian Countries under the Asian Satellite Campuses Institute (ASCI) of Nagoya University, Japan.

The programs offered by ASCI are specialized research-focused doctoral programs in various disciplines that target professionals in academic and government institutions from select Asian countries. This year, the ASCI in the Philippines has started offering doctoral courses under the Graduate School of Environmental Studies (GSES) and Graduate School of Engineering (GSE). Engr. Elevado, who is a part-time faculty member of the Department of Civil Engineering, is the first student from the Philippines admitted to the GSES.

 

More information on ASCI can be found here: https://asci.nagoya-u.ac.jp/about_asci/

In photo: Engr. Elevado (right) with one of his advisors, Dr. Marianne Faith Martinico-Perez (left).