Monday, June 1, 2026

Oreta & Uy at the 2026 PICE Midyear National Convention

 DLSU Dept of Civil Engineering Professors, Dr. Andres Winston C. Oreta and Dr. Erica Elise Uy delivered technical presentations at the 2026 Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Midyear National and Technical Conference held on May 22-23, 2026 at the SMX Convention Center.

Dr. Oreta was invited to present a paper in the Civil Engineering Education Session. Dr. Uy, on the other hand, was invited to present their DOST-funded research project at the Water Resources Engineering Specialty Session. Here are the abstracts of the presentations of Oreta and Uy, respectively.


Strengthening the Civil Engineering Graduate Seminar on Disaster Risk Reduction & Infrastructure Development (DRRID) through the CE-DRRID Teaching Modules Aligned with the Sendai Framework & AI/ICT Tools

By Andres Winston C. Oreta

The increasing frequency and complexity of natural hazards require civil engineering (CE) education to strengthen its emphasis on disaster risk reduction and resilient infrastructure development (DRRID). This paper presents the development and initial implementation of the CE-DRRID Teaching Modules, a structured set of graduate-level learning materials designed to integrate DRRID principles across major civil engineering specializations within a graduate seminar course. The modules highlight the roles of the CE specializations including civil engineering education in reducing disaster risks and promoting resilient infrastructure systems. A key feature of the modules is the systematic alignment of specialization-specific tasks with the four priorities of the Sendai Framework for DRR. Another important component of the modules is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as emerging support tools. The incorporation of AI and ICT tools within the course expands the research perspective of graduate students while emphasizing that these technologies complement, rather than replace, engineering judgment and expertise. 


Dam Risk Management Decision Support Tool

By Erica Elice S. Uy

Co-Authors: J. Tan, V. Eugenio, C.A. Fernandez, , J.B. Pauco, R. Rivera, M. Cutora, J. Galupino, I.O. Ubay-Anongphouth, R.M. Tanhueco, M.A. Adajar, J. Dungca and C. Abanag

Effective dam safety management in multi-hazard and data-constrained environments requires decision-support systems that systematically integrate structured expert judgment with standardized inspection protocols. While international dam safety guidelines provide comprehensive inspection checklists, defect classification systems, and performance rating criteria, they typically lack explicit weighting schemes for prioritizing structural components, failure mechanisms, and hazard indicators. As a result, post-inspection safety evaluations often remain subjective, limiting consistency, transparency, auditability, and risk-informed decision-making. This study presents an integrated decision-support framework that couples the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with internationally adopted dam safety inspection standards—specifically structured around Korean condition assessment guidelines—to transform qualitative inspection results into quantitative, risk-based safety indices suitable for operational deployment.



DLSU DCE Faculty, Alumni & Students actively participated at the ASEP CASTED2026

 The Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) organized the 4th International Conference on 𝗖oncrete 𝗔nd 𝗦teel 𝗧echnology, π—˜ngineering, and 𝗗esign (CASTED2026), with a theme “𝘌𝘯𝘨π˜ͺ𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳π˜ͺ𝘯𝘨 𝘡𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘡𝘢𝘳𝘦 π˜›π˜°π˜Έπ˜’π˜³π˜₯𝘴 π˜™π˜¦π˜΄π˜ͺ𝘭π˜ͺ𝘦𝘯𝘀𝘦 & 𝘚𝘢𝘴𝘡𝘒π˜ͺ𝘯𝘒𝘣π˜ͺ𝘭π˜ͺ𝘡𝘺” on May 28-30, 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Quezon City.

ASEP president, Dr. Rodolfo Mendoza, Jr., a professional lecturer at DCE, DLSU Manila delivered the welcome message while Former DCE Chair and professor,  Dr. Romeo Estanero delivered the Keynote Speech.

Dr. Rodolfo “Mac” Mendoza, Jr. (ASEP President)



Dr. Romeo Estanero (Retired DLSU Professor, Presently a Civil Eng’g PRB member)


The papers presented during the conference at the parallel Technical Sessions by DLSU faculty, students and alumni are as follows:

  • Mary Joanne C. Aninon (PhD-CE Student, Presentor) and DLSU faculty co-authors (Dr. Bernardo Lejaono and Dr. Lessandro Garciano) – Identification of Buckling Mode Transition in Cold-Formed Steel Sections using Matlab-Fem Parametric Optimization.
  • Rogel Exequiel E. Talagtag (MSCE Student, Presentor) and DLSU faculty co-author (Dr. Andres Oreta) – A RAG-based Artificial Intelligence System for verifying RC Design Compliance.
  •        Mica Isabela S. Embuscado (BSCE graduate, presentor) – Comparative Study of Hole Stiffeners for Improved Compressive Strength of Cold-Formed Steel C-Section Members.
  •       Carlos C. Centeno, Jr. (UP ICE, Presentor) and DLSU faculty co-author (Dr. Andres Oreta) – Constructing Seismic Resilience in Concrete Structures through a CTM-DRR Framework.
  •       Joyce Ann L. Purugganan (PetroJikken, Presentor) and DLSU faculty co-authors (Dr. Rodolfo Mendoza, Jr., Joaquin Miguel P. Ramos and Kenneth Roi P. Toral)
  •       Francis Domingo (DLSU Faculty, presentor) – Engineering under Pressure: Understanding Bridge Failures and Building Resilient Infrastructure System
Engr. Rogel Exequiel E. Talagtag (MSCE Student)

Photo: From left (Left most – Megan Quiaem, 3rd - Mary Joanne C. Aninon, 6th – Rogel Talagtag)

             Meanwhile DLSU faculty moderated the sessions: Dr. Lessandro Garciano (KS1 – Increasing the Resilience of Highway           Bridges under Multiple Hazards), Dr. Rodolfo Mendoza, Jr. (KS2 – Computational Models across the Disaster Lifecycle) and Dr. Andres Oreta (TS3 – Construction, Maintenance and Preservation) and Francis Domingo (KS8 – Maintenance for Special Bridges: A Design-Stage Approach).

             Engr. Megan Angela S. Quiaem (BSMS Alumna) served as the over-all Master of Ceremonies