UP ACES Post Event Write-Up of the National Civil Engineering Summit 2015

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The National Civil Engineering Summit (NCES) 2015 recently ended as a huge success. Once again, the UP Association of Civil Engineering Students (UP ACES) proved its unparalleled dedication in hosting the largest gathering of civil engineers in the country. Since its inception in 2006, the NCES has served as the biggest platform for exchanging ideas and discussions in the civil engineering field. On the organization’s 61st year, UP ACES took things to an even higher level by introducing brand-new events: Profiles and the CE Job Fair.

During the first day of the National Civil Engineering Summit, an event titled “Jumpstart” is launched at the UP College of Engineering. It started the NCES right by creating a perfect atmosphere of giving back to the college. Together with the ribbon cutting and the opening mass, UP ACES hosted its annual “Grand Pakain”, where everyone from the College of Engineering was invited to the Civil Engineering Lobby for a lunch buffet.

The ribbon cutting and opening of the CE Exhibit was held at the Engineering Lobby. The CE Exhibit promoted awareness and appreciation of the civil engineering profession by presenting its different fields and roles in the society.

September 5 heralded as the date of the first major event of this year’s Summit — InCEthink: Bridge Building Competition. More than 40 teams comprised of high school students competed in constructing the strongest and most economical bridge using barbeque sticks, applying not just their engineering knowledge, but also their creativity and teamwork. The competition ended with Miriam College High School emerging as the victor. Bethel Christian School of Fairview Inc. and Malayan High School of Science garnered second and third place, respectively.

Simultaneous with this event are the High School Career Talk (HSCT) and the CE Lab Tour. The HSCT provided high school students with a glimpse of what their career as future civil engineers would be should they choose to pursue this path. This is further supplemented by the CE Lab Tour as students are taken on an interactive tour around the Institute of Civil Engineering’s facilities and equipment.

From September 10 to 11, the National Civil Engineering Symposium occurred. This year’s Symposium boasts of nearly 4200 participants from all over the nation, showing an increase from last year’s 3400 participants. With the theme ‘Cutting Edge: Streamlining Civil Engineering in an Advancing Nation’, present civil engineering students were able to learn about the newest breakthroughs and current undertakings of the civil engineering field from high-caliber speakers. The following are the list of speakers with their respective topics:

Dr. Renato Solidum	The West Valley Fault: How to Safeguard our Country from the Inevitable
Dr. Alfredo Lagmay	Project NOAH: How to Safeguard our Country from the Inevitable
Engr. Roger Borja	The Sustainability of Philippine Water: A Creation of Greener and Safer Water Systems
Mr. Dick Borbe	The Public - Private Partnership: Its Primary Role to Philippine Infrastructure Boom
Engr. Eleazar Ricote	The Public-Private Partnership: Its Primary Role to Philippine Infrastructure Boom
Engr. Emilio Tumbocon	The ASEAN Integration: Highlighting the Filipino Civil Engineer’s Expertise

Miss Risa Hontiveros	Inspirational Message
Mr. Richard Gordon	Inspirational Message

This year also introduced a new integrated event of the Symposium — Profiles: Inspirational Talks from the Pillars of Civil Engineering in the Philippines. With the aim of providing a more intimate venue for discussion and interaction, prominent UP ACES alumni shared their real-life experiences as civil engineers and provided practical tips and advices on how to become successful as professionals. 

Simultaneous with the Symposium are the CE Lab Tour and the CE Job Fair. The CE Job Fair allows participants to submit their résumés to companies they are interested in working for or having an internship with.

Lastly, the NCES ended triumphantly with the National Civil Engineering Quiz (NCEQ) last September 12. 120 teams battled it out in a grand civil engineering quiz bee, testing their wit and academic knowledge under pressure. Team B from University of the Philippines- Los Baños (UPLB) was crowned as the champion, winning the grand prize of 60, 000 pesos. Team A from FEU Institute of Technology and Team A from UPLB placed second and third, respectively.

This event was concurrent with the Company Talk, where representatives of top companies let the participants have a sneak peak of what it’s like in the corporate world.

In 10 years, the National Civil Engineering Summit (NCES) has grown to be the biggest and most well-known gathering of civil engineers from all over the nation. Time and time again, UP ACES has achieved its goal of encouraging the Filipino youth to serve the country and pursue learning beyond the academe’s walls. We would like to thank all of our sponsors and alumni without whom this event would not have been possible. Above all, we thank the participants for their continued support and patronage. We hope to see you again in next year’s National Civil Engineering Summit!

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