12th National Civil Engineering Summit

If society is the human body, then Civil Engineering is the skeleton. Civil engineering serves as the framework for all societal functions. By connecting lives through bridges, moving industries through roads, reaching newer heights through skyscrapers (literally) and sheltering people through houses, civil engineering remains a pivotal part of modern society. As overwhelming and difficult as it may appear, service makes pursuing the field a much fulfilling experience.

Get ready to be equipped with the knowledge that’ll help you take on the field with ease as this September, the UP Association of Civil Engineering Students (UP ACES) once again brings back the biggest civil engineering event in the country. On its 12th year, the National Civil Engineering Summit is set to give the ultimate civil engineering experience.

On September 6, the NCES kicks off with Jumpstart, a thanksgiving celebration and an opening ceremony for the grandest civil engineering event in the country!

Up next is InCEthink on September 9, featuring various events that target high school students from various schools.

InCEthink is set to provide a background on the field of civil engineering to foster interest among high school students in pursuing the field. The event features InCEthink: High School Career Talk where various professional civil engineers introduce the field by sharing their experiences, InCEthink: Civil Engineering Lab Tour, an interactive experience showcasing the Institute of Civil Engineering and of course, InCEthink: Bridge Building Competition where the team that builds the most effective and cost-efficient bridge takes home the trophy and a cash prize.

On the 14th and 15th of September comes the much awaited National Civil Engineering Symposium. With over 4000 participants from all over the country, the National Civil Engineering Symposium boasts as the largest gathering of civil engineering in the Philippines. With the theme of Reconstruct: Forging the Nation's Advancement Through Service and Innovation, this year’s Symposium aims to promote a nationalistic approach in pursuing civil engineering. Well renowned speakers will share their experiences, expertise as well as insights on how we can build the nation not just as Filipino civil engineers, but civil engineers for the Filipino people. Held outside the University Theatre is the Civil Engineering Job Fair, an interactive experience for students to connect with various companies and institutions where they can submit their resumes and expand their network.

Simultaneously held at different locations in UP Diliman are the Civil Engineering Lab Tour where college students from different universities get a first-hand experience on the cutting edge facilities of the Institute of Civil Engineering, AdvanCE: The Six Fields of Civil Engineering-- a more extensive preview of each of the six fields of civil engineering, and the Civil Engineering Company talk an event that extends to the 16th where well-known companies showcase themselves.

The NCES concludes with the National Civil Engineering Quiz on the 16th, where over 120 teams from all over the country compete for the championship. The NCEQ boasts its whopping 100,000 peso total cash prize and with a new addition of a prestigious revolving championship trophy.

The teams must answer various challenging questions that will surely test their knowledge in the field of civil engineering.

The National Civil Engineering Summit awaits you, future civil engineers!

Fr Robert Reyes, Student Leaders File Petition for DOJ Secretary to Inhibit at Kian Delos Santos Case

A group of student leaders and law students are filing a petition in the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday for Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to inhibit himself from the probe on Kian Delos Santos’s slay.

The group is joined by the 'Running Priest' Father Robert Reyes known for his unique protest actions against corruption and Father Flavie Villanueva, SVD, who advocates for reformed drug addicts.

The group, made up of 4 universities and groups around Metro Manila, say that Aguirre has “already prejudged the case” following his statements that Kian’s slay is “blown out of proportion” and the witnesses may have been “brainwashed”.

“It is our view that the DOJ Secretary’s involvement in the case of Kian de los Santos is detrimental to having a thorough and impartial investigation of the case.” Kathleen Benavidez of UP Law School said.



The students responded to Aguirre’s remarks that they are “uninformed or ill-motivated” in filing for him to inhibit.

“Aguirre, the Fake News king, has chosen to undermine us rather than respond to the growing call for him to keep his hands off the case,” Student Council Alliance of the Philippines OIC Secretary General Jeza Rodriguez said. “His attempts of muddling Kian’s case is widely-publicized and we have his quotes on our petition.”

The students also cite Aguirre’s record of whitewashing cases of police abuse by downgrading the charges against the 19 cops accused from murder to a bailable offense homicide in the case of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa last November.



“Aguirre will defend Duterte’s murderous anti-drug campaign to death,” Karla Yu of Millennials Against Dictators said. “Having Aguirre’s hand into the case will end with having no justice for Kian at all.”

The group is made up of students from Bukluran UP System, UP College of Law, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines and Millennials Against Dictators.

The groups are calling for the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct the preliminary investigation for this case instead, citing its impartiality and neutrality.

Ben Askren Vows to Put Swedish Foe in Wrestling Clinic

Even though there are many combat practices in mixed martial arts, undefeated ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren stands firm on the notion that wrestling is the most vital discipline in the sport.

In the constantly-evolving arena of martial arts, many competitors and coaches are still striving to discover what training formula results in consistent success.

Wrestling has been often regarded as the best foundation in the sport as numerous wrestlers transitioned easily into the sport, including Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, Daniel Cormier, Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell and Frankie Edgar.

Throughout the course of mixed martial arts history, wrestlers have shared the cage with other practitioners on numerous occasions.

In the current state of the sport, wrestling has become a necessary requirement for combatants to extensively learn.

“If you’re going to ask a lot of the mixed martial artists, they’re going to say that wrestling is the number one martial art to learn,” Askren said.

Askren is highly regarded for his outstanding wrestling background that earned him two NCAA Division I national championship trophies and the privilege to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

While many children were motivated to first pick up a basketball because of Michael Jordan or kick a soccer ball because of David Beckham, Askren was a little different.

Growing up in the Midwestern United States, a region traditionally known as a hotbed for amateur wrestling, Askren was motivated by the spirit of competition and wanted to participate in a sport where he could be the master of his own fate.

“What really attracted me to wrestling was it was a one-on-one sport, and you make or break your destiny. I did not like to let other people control my destiny. I wanted to be in control of my own destiny. I wanted it to be my fault if I won, or my fault if I lost, so I guess I had a hard time with other people having control over my outcomes,” he shared.

Askren had long planned switch to mixed martial arts and conquer that sport once he hung up his wrestling boots.

Following his 2008 Olympic campaign, Askren made the transition and has flawlessly translated his impeccable grappling skills into his growing skillset.

The 33-year-old American has been perfect in competition, amassing an immaculate professional record of 16-0 with 1 no contest en route to becoming the ONE Welterweight World Champion.

“Being a champion is more than wearing a gold belt around your waist,. It is a lot about how you live, and a lot about how you affect others around you by the way you live and train,” Askren explained.

Askren plans to show everyone just how good he is once again on Saturday, 2 September when he defends his ONE Welterweight World Championship against Swedish contender Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam in the main event of ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI, which takes place at the 15,000-capacity Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China.

A tall order is in front of Askren as unlike the Olympian’s previous opponents, Kadestam is armed with a dangerous striking game as he possesses a top-shelf Muay Thai skillset with knockout power.

Kadestam made headlines last May when he defeated Santos as the little-known Swede had been completely dominated in the opening two rounds of the contest before pulling off a miraculous knockout in the final stanza.

Askren admitted that Kadestam’s shocking conquest of Santos nearly five months ago caught his attention.

“He is tough and he is durable, and that showed in the match with Santos. He took some hard shots, but stayed in there and kept competing,” he said of the Swedish standout.

Although he stakes his undefeated record and the coveted ONE Welterweight World Championship title against a dangerous foe like Kadestam, Askren believes there is nothing his opponent can do that will prepare him for what is about to come.

"It does not matter what my opponent's strengths and weaknesses are because at the end of the day, I have got the trump card. He cannot stop my wrestling, then he is going to be on his back, and he is going to get beaten up,” he declared.

“I will come across the cage, I will grab you, I will put you on your back, and I will punch you until you ask the referee to stop me from doing so. The other option is that I am going to make you tap,” Askren added.

For the past eight years, dating back to his professional debut in February 2009, his unstoppable strategy has worked brilliantly for Askren, who does not see any reason to stray from his strength.

“I am really effective at what I do. I never made a secret of it, and I always played to my strengths, and that is something a lot of people get away from. They do not play to their strengths, and I always play to my strengths, and I have been very focused and determined on what I do. So far, it has worked out well,” he stressed.

With his superb wrestling pedigree, Askren plans to exhibit another masterful performance as he shares the ONE Championship cage with a ferocious striker like Kadestam.

“Although Zebaztian Kadestam might be an underdog, I am not taking this match lightly. I know the feeling. I’ve been in that situation. Nobody should write off an underdog. But this is what I can assure. Wrestling has always been my bread-and-butter. Once I get you on the mat, it’s a matter of seconds before I finish you,” he guaranteed.

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