Three Generations of CE Faculty

THREE GENERATIONS OF CE FACULTY By Andy Oreta

The Civil Engineering program was revived at De La Salle University, Manila in 1987 and come 2012, the program will be 25 years. Thanks to a dedicated faculty. In the span of about 17 years of teaching at DLSU, I have worked with both senior and junior faculty members who have shaped outstanding Lasallian civil engineers. Let me write about the faculty in recognition of their untiring service to the university and the students. As I see it, the fulltime CE faculty members may be grouped into three generations – the grouping is not necessarily based on age but rather on milestones in the history of civil engineering education at DLSU, Manila.

The 1st Generation: THE PIONEERS

The 1st generation which I will refer to as “The Pioneers” are the faculty members who started or revived the BSCE program at DLSU. This group include the “founders” like Dr. Angel Lazaro III, the College of Engineering Dean who proposed the revival of the program and Dr. Romeo Estanero, the man behind the unique and specialized BSCE curriculum at DLSU and the first Department Chair. The other fulltime faculty members who pioneered this program were Dr Lydia de Castro, a PhD graduate in Geotechnical Engineering, Antonio Tansingco, an MS graduate at Stanford University, Manuel Vergel, a Hydraulics Engineering expert and Leopoldo Polintan (M.Eng., AIT). This 1st generation of CE faculty members who are now retired used effectively the blackboard and the overhead projector in their instruction and various teaching aids like models and posters. Dr. Estanero was the last pioneer when he retired in Dec 2007.

The 2nd Generation: THE SPECIALISTS

In the early 1990’s the department has to hire younger faculty members to address the growing population of CE students. Imposing the strict policy of Dr. Estanero, only civil engineers with at least a Master’s Degree were hired. I dubbed this 2nd generation of faculty members as “The Specialists.” Why? Because it was during this period, that the department started implementing the specialization program – starting with Structural Engineering (STE) and Construction Technology and Management (CTM), then followed later by Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering (HWR) and Transportation Engineering (TRE).

The Specialists (Tanhueco, Fillone, Lejano, Terante, Gallardo, Oreta & Manalo)

The 2nd generation fulltime faculty members include Ronaldo Gallardo (MS, PLM), Francisco Franco (M.Eng., AIT), Alexis Fillone (M.Eng, AIT/ PhD, UP), Danilo Terante (M. Eng. Ed., DLSU / PhD, UP), Renan Tanhueco (M.Eng., Nagoya U/ PhD, UP), Andres Oreta (M.Eng & D. Eng., Nagoya U), Edgar Dona (MS, Virginia Polytech, USA / PhD, UP), Joseph Manalo (MS, PLM) and Bernardo Lejano (MS, UP / D. Eng., Nihon U). These faculty members went through various transitions in their teaching methods from blackboard instruction, OHP technology to Powerpoint presentations. The “Specialists” were active in presenting in many conferences here and abroad. Many of these faculty members earned their PhD Degrees while teaching fulltime at the university. One of the achievements of this generation is the department being selected as CHED’s Center of Development in Civil Engineering. The department also received a university recognition as the most productive department in research. In ten to fifteen years, this generation will retire from the university.

The 3rd Generation: THE TRANSFORMERS

The 3rd generation consists of relatively young and energetic faculty members – a number of them were students of the 1st and 2nd generation professors in either the undergraduate or graduate programs at DLSU. I will refer to them as the “The Transformers” because it was during their time that new teaching and learning paradigms like “Transformative Learning”, "Student-Centered Learning" and now “Outcomes-Based Education” were introduced at the university. These new breed of faculty members are challenged to transform their teaching strategies considering that they have access to new technologies in the classroom like the thin client (a multimedia with projector and speakers and connected to the internet) and various internet applications like Facebook, YouTube, Google Earth and blogs.

The Transformers and The Specialists - Ready for Battle!

The Transformers include DLSU alumni and former faculty members, Agnes Galang and Cris Castillo, DLSU MSCE graduates, Jason Ongpeng, Dr. Jonathan Dungca, Mary Ann Adajar and Alden Balili, AUN-SEED Net MS graduates from Chulalongkorn University, Irene Ubay, Cherry Capiz and Nicanor Roxas, Jr. Newly hired Dr. Mario de Leon and soon to be hired Dr. Lessandro Garciano (also a DLSU MSCE graduate) also belong to this group. The Transformers have a great task ahead of them. They are challenged to succeed in applying outcomes-based education and transform Lasallian students into professional civil engineers who are critical thinkers, effective communicators, lifelong learners and service-driven citizens.

The Next Generation? The Pioneers have laid the foundations of the BS and Master’s Program in DLSU. The Specialists have erected the four pillars of the civil engineering specializations in STE, CTM, TRE and HWR. The Specialists have a great task also of offering the PhD-CE program. The Transformers must sustain the specialized curriculum and expand the program to include the Geotechnical Engineering specialization and many of them must earn their PhD degree. The challenge to the next generation is not only to continue the department’s tradition of excellence in instruction, research and community service but to produce globally competetive professional civil engineers who can make an impact in shaping our country and the world. The fourth generation - GLOBALIZERS?

A Vision Come True

NOTE: The CE Department was revived in SY1987-1988 and will celebrate its 25th year in SY 2012-2013. Let's look back and reflect about the past. Here is an article (published at ANIMOCIVnews 2008) by Dr. Romeo Estanero who retired from DLSU in 2007.

A Vision Come True

By Romeo Estanero, PhD

The end of the 2nd Term of SY2007-2008 on December 18, 2007 ends my continuous full time teaching at DLSU-M for exactly 21 years and four months, broken up only by service leaves for a term after every five or three years. Starting August 1986, my first year as a full-time faculty member was spent in teaching in what was then the Allied Sciences Department of the College of Engineering while preparing the feasibility study and developing the civil engineering curriculum in time for the opening of the program by the following school year.

The CE program of DLSU-M was offered for the main task of training future qualified civil engineers who are willing to take active part in the infrastructure development of the country. This despite the existence of a number of civil engineering schools in Metro Manila and in the provinces. The attainment of this objective was then anchored upon two major items. First, for a diversified field of civil engineering qualified civil engineers are those who are well-trained in their chosen areas of specialization. There was an urgent need to deviate from the conventional CE curriculum to open areas of specialization in construction technology and management, geotechnical, hydraulics and water resources, structural, and transportation engineering. Second, qualified civil engineers can only be students trained under a high standard of instruction from equally qualified teachers. It was my own unwritten policy more than a score of years ago -- a policy that has been sustained to date -- that nobody shall be teaching in the department without at least a master’s degree in one of the five areas of specialization so defined.

Starting with one freshman section in its maiden year of offering, we accomplished the realization of our vision when four years later, we attained a 90% passing (9 of 10) in the first licensure examinations with a 7th place to boot. Since then the CE graduates had always placed DLSU-M as one of the top performing schools throughout the country. In recognition of this achievement, the Commission on Higher Education immediately recognized the department as a Center of Development in Civil Engineering though in its infancy stage.(No academic institution in the country is recognized Center of Excellence in civil engineering.) The need to specialize that was envisioned more than 20 years ago is only recently confirmed by the CHED with a revision of the civil engineering curriculum starting school year 2008-2009 whereby specialized courses are to be offered in the curriculum. Of late, the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers requires its members to elect their areas of civil engineering specialization following the DLSU model before they can be registered as members.

Presently, the faculty profile boasts of 17 members, more than half of whom have already obtained their doctorate degrees in engineering. The achievements of both faculty and students place the DLSU-M at the top of civil engineering education in the country, now at par with other academic institutions not only in Asia, but probably the rest of the world -- A VISION COME TRUE.

Dr. Mario De Leon - Coastal Engg Expert Joins DLSU CE Dept

Joining the roster of full-time CE faculty at DLSU - Manila starting 1st term AY 2011-2012 is Dr. Mario P. de Leon. His academic undertakings in the field of civil engineering started at the University of San Carlos (USC) where he earned his BSCE degree in 1991. Right after graduation, he got his first employment stint with Primary Structures Corporation, a Triple “A” construction company in Cebu. In 1994, he decided to join the academe as full-time CE faculty in his alma mater, USC. Then, came an opportunity to pursue graduate study at UNESCO-IHE in Delft, the Netherlands where he completed his Master of Engineering degree specializing in Environmental Science and Technology in 1998. From 1998-2005, he served at USC both in academic and administrative capacities. In 2005, he was awarded the Monbukagakusho grant for a doctoral degree pursuit. He was then conferred in 2009 the Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering degree at Kagoshima University in Japan in the field of coastal engineering. Having had work experience both in the construction company and the academe since 1991, Engr. de Leon believes that his newfound niche at DLSU is a significant chapter of his lifelong journey to a mission of service.

CE Faculty & Staff at the GREEN MILE

The faculty and staff of the CE Department participated at the GREEN MILE, an activity of DLSU for its 100 years anniversary infront of Taft Avenue, Manila. last June 16, 2011.

Congratulations New Lasallian Civil Engineers (May 2011)

CONGRATULATIONS to the new Lasallian Civil Engineers!

1. ENGR. ADIAZ, PATRICIA CRUZ
2. ENGR. ALI, AMMER AMANAT
3 ENGR. BOMBALES, DOMINICK ROMANO
4 ENGR. BOMBITA, KAREN KAYE MIRANDA
5 ENGR. CERTEZA, LORENZO GABRIEL DEMONTEVERDE
6 ENGR. CORNEJO, SARAH LINETTE DOLATRE
7 ENGR. DE LAS LLAGAS, JOSE LEO EPRES
8 ENGR. DEL CASTILLO, ANNA FRANCESCA CHENG
9 ENGR. ESTRADA, ALRIK LENCI MATIENZO
10 ENGR. FERAER, JONATHAN LLANERA
11 ENGR. FERNANDEZ, MICKEL NG
12 ENGR. FRANCO, RALPH LUIGI FONG
13 ENGR. FUENTES, CHRISTOPHER JOHN BARREDO
14 ENGR. GO, HANS IVAN ONG
15 ENGR. GURREA, FELVIN LONGNO
16 ENGR. LIM, JOSE ANTONIO ESTRADA
17 ENGR. LLANES, AIZEL MA KRISTINA ABULENCIA
18 ENGR. MADRAZO, FRANCIS JOHN RAMIREZ
19 ENGR. MANALO, DENISE GERALDINE DE JESUS
20 ENGR. MARTINEZ, MA KLARISSA GLORIOSO
21 ENGR. MAYO, MANUEL ANTONIO III FRANCISCO
22 ENGR. MORALES, EL REY ANDAL
23 ENGR. NG, KENNETH LAO
24. ENGR. OYONOYON, GERALD PARILLA
25 ENGR. PALISOC, MARLON BRYAN ROSALES
26 PENSOTES, LUIGI MELVIN I CABRERA
27 ENGR. PIQUE, GENE MARTIN LAPARAN
28 ENGR. RUBIO, ROWELL RIVERO
29 ENGR. SALUMBIDES, JONATHAN ALBERT VILLASEÑOR
30 ENGR. SANTOS, CARL ANDREW MANAPSAL
31 ENGR. SAY, MORGAN POLICARPIO
32 ENGR. SEVILLA, MARIA EMILIA PAMBID
33 ENGR. TAN, ROMWELL LOUIS LEE
34 ENGR. VIERNES, ALEXANDER PADILLA
35. ENGR. YU, PAUL JOSHUA DANAO

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