TRE Division of the Civil Engineering Department Participates in the 16th EASTS Conference in Surakarta, Indonesia

 The Transportation Engineering (TRE) Division of the Civil Engineering Department participated in the 16th Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) Conference, held in Surakarta, Indonesia from September 1–4, 2025. The biennial conference is a premier platform for advancing transportation research and practice, bringing together experts, scholars, and practitioners from across East Asia. This year’s event gathered participants from 19 countries and regions under the theme “Harnessing Local Wisdom and Green Technology to Build a Sustainable Transport Sector in East Asia.”

Participants form the TRE Division, Department of Civil Engineering

Highlighting the division’s active role in this international gathering, nine (9) research papers by TRE students and faculty members were presented at the conference. The researchers and their studies presented are as follows:

1.            “Route Simulation of Bridge and Road Infrastructure Under Diverse Flood Scenarios: A Case Study of Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines” by Alexis FILLONE, Anabel ABUZO, Jefferson VALLENTE, Gifrey SULAY, and John OSIA

2.            “A Comparison of Access and Egress Characteristics to and from Rail Stations in Bangkok and Metro Manila” by Alexis FILLONE, Saksith CHALERMPONG, Phathinan THAITHATKUL, and Hironori KATO

3.            “Impact of Proposed Truck Routes in Vehicular Movement in Metro Manila” by Riches BACERO and Alexis FILLONE

4.            “The Role of School Travel on Student Well-being and Satisfaction in Region I, Philippines: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach” by Karen Joyce SANTIAGO and Alexis FILLONE

5.            “Assessing Objective Microscale Utilitarian Walkability Based on Subjective Pedestrian Needs in Baguio City's CBD” by Angelyn ILAGAN, Alexis FILLONE, and Maria Cecilia PARINGIT

6.            “Developing an Excel-Based Route Planning System for Agricultural Products Pickup and Delivery in Benguet, Philippines” by Alerik Ezekiel RUIZ, Krister Ian Daniel ROQUEL, Alexis FILLONE, and Marla MANIQUIZ- REDILLAS

7.            “Enhancing Urban Mobility: A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System Plan for Iloilo City” by Max Aldea DEL ROSARIO, Keith CAMENA, Ronald CARTAGENA, Hermilo GOSUICO, and Alexis FILLONE

8.            “Impact of Typhoon-Induced Flooding on Traffic Patterns and Vehicle Mix: A 24-Hour Analysis of Metro Manila's Gregorio Araneta Avenue” by Lance Kenneth Diaz MAMUYAC, Louisse Shaola LUMANGLAS, and Alexis FILLONE

9.            “Correlation of Light and Metro Rail Passenger Service Quality Perception to Sociodemographic Factors and Travel Behavior” by Uzziah GALERO, David Angelo Mauro VALENZUELA, Dane UY, and Nicanor ROXAS

Aside from De La Salle University, the Philippines was also represented by presenters from the University of the Philippines Diliman, University of Asia and the Pacific, Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan, and Bulacan State University.

TRE Students and Faculty attended the 18th Asian Transportation Research Society (ATRANS) Annual Conference, Bangkok, Thailand

The Transportation Engineering Division of the Department of Civil Engineering at De La Salle University (DLSU) attended the 18th ATRANS Annual Conference: Young Researcher’s Forum (AYRF) 2025, which was hosted at the Chatrium Grand Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, last August 29, 2025. The DLSU delegation included PhD student Engr. Karen Joyce Santiago, BS Civil Engineering (BSCE) students Mikaela Geline Santos, Flor Mikaela Gonzales, and Alfonso Jose Fernandez, who presented their research papers in the AYRF sessions.

By providing a global platform for the dissemination of peer-reviewed research and expert commentary, AYRF aims to elevate the work of emerging researchers. The forum, organized annually by the Asian Transportation Research Society (ATRANS), brings together young researchers to share new findings, improve techniques, and form partnerships throughout ASEAN and beyond.

The following are the list of papers from the TRE Division presented during the conference:

•       The Influence of Daily School Travel and Transport Satisfaction on Student Achievement and Well-being: A Regional Case, by Engr. Karen Joyce B. Santiago.
•         Influence of Occupational Factors on the Risk-Taking Behaviors of Occupational Riders in Metro Manila by Flor Mikaela Gonzales, Samantha Emmanuelle Dimayuga, Josiah Delima, and Winonna Maligaya.
•         A Trip Based Data Analysis of Travel Choice in Response to Weather Variability by Brent L.P. Berenguer, Dharlene, C.C. Gilbuena, Gwen A. Panganiban and Mikaella G.M. Santos.
•         Assessing the Accessibility of Public Transport in an In-City Relocated Community: The Case of LRB-Manggahan Households in Pasig City, Philippines by John D.A. Franzuela, Aeron V. Garon, Clair N.J. Lota, and Carl G.A. Navarro
•         Evaluating the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Typology of the Metro Manila Subway Using the Node-Place Model by Sebastian M.C. Bravo, Alfonzo J.V. Fernandez, Jan H. Najera, and Mohammad K.A. Tanggol.

In parallel, Dr. Alexis M. Fillone, acted as one of the forum's moderators, promoting intellectual conversation and constructive critique among presenters.

This year's forum reiterated ATRANS' commitment to promoting early-career scholarship by combining formal paper presentations with modearated Q&A sessions and recognition methods such as best-paper judging. The framework prioritizes problem framing clarity, methodological soundness, data and analytic quality, and practical implications—criteria that assist young researchers in orienting their work toward being publishable and real-world applicability.

Every August, the Asian Transportation Research Society (ATRANS) holds an annual conference and related activities, bringing together notable speakers and academics to explore breakthroughs in transportation systems, policy, and practice. The Young Researcher's Forum (AYRF) is a different track that invites students and early-career scholars to submit full papers for peer review, speak at the annual conference, and compete for best-paper awards. 

The DLSU students and faculty with Prof. Atsushi Fukuda (center), Professor of Nihon University, and Dr. Tuenjai Fukuda (leftmost), Secretary General of ATRANS

Dr. Oreta (DLSU-M Delegate) presented at ASAIHL2025, HCM, Vietnam

 ASAIHL Winter 2025 Conference was held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Dec. 3-5, 2025 with the theme: “LEARN BY DOING: Experiential Learning in International Education.” The conference was organized by Keuka College (New York, USA) in collaboration with the University of Economics and Finance (UEF).

Oreta presents in the Breakout session on Simulated Experiential Education in Math and Science

De La Salle University (Manila) was represented by Dr. Feorillo Petronilo A. Demeterio III (Director of the DLSU University Research Coordination Office), Ms. Miriam Abayan (Office of Vice President for External Relations and Internationalization) and Dr. Andres Winston C. Oreta (Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering).

Dr. Oreta presented in the Dec. 5 breakout session on Simulated Experiential Education in Math and Science. Dr. Oreta presented his paper on “Designing Student-Centered Assignments Using Digital Tools and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory in Structural and Earthquake Engineering.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Demeterio presented the Country Report for the Philippines in behalf of Bernard Oca, FSC (President of DLSU and ASAIHL Philippine National Chapter). Dr. Demeterio also presented in the Dec 4 breakout session on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as Experiential Education for Researchers. 

Demeterio presents the Country Report (Philippines)

Demeterio, Abayan and Oreta at ASAIHL 2025, HCM, Vietnam

ASAIHL 2025 Delegates at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 

Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL) holds conferences annually. In this 2025 conference, about 100 participants attended the conference. In July 2026, ASAIHL will be hosted by the University of Malaysia Sabah at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Group Photo of Philippine Delegates from DLSU-Manila, DLSU-Dasmarinas, UE