Celebrating the Nation’s Builders: The National Civil Engineering Summit 2023

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After more than 3 years of the pandemic, the annual National Civil Engineering

Summit (NCES) reverts to the face-to-face setup in full force as it makes its most-awaited comeback this September 27-30 at the University of the Philippines Diliman.


Being the largest student-held civil engineering summit in the country, this week-long event organised by the UP Association of Civil Engineering Students (UP ACES) aims to gather the civil engineering community—students, professionals, and anyone else with the passion for civil engineering—to celebrate its feats and provide its members with skills and ethics for nation-building.


This year, NCES 2023 presents its bigtime events with the theme of “Foundations Reinforced: Diversifying the Horizons of Engineering”. Through various talks, exhibitions and competitions, NCES 2023 highlights the role of civil engineering in strengthening relationships of different sectors in society while continuously pushing beyond its boundaries.


The summit starts off with Jumpstart, the official opening ceremony of NCES. It includes a ribbon-cutting ceremony, summit blessing, and a pakain open to the faculty and staff of the UP Institute of Civil Engineering (UP ICE). This event aims to honour the efforts and work of the people behind UP ICE.


Open throughout the entirety of NCES, the Civil Engineering Exhibit features interactive and artistic displays that highlight accomplishments and innovations under the different fields of civil engineering. It aims to foster greater appreciation towards the field through displays that delve into civil engineering continuously widening its horizons to achieve a progressive society and its connections between people, structures and the natural environment. The exhibit also showcases UP ICE and the achievements of UP ACES.


The first contest of the summit is the Bridge Building Competition (BBC), which is open to high school students nationwide. With the objective of inspiring young minds in pursuing civil engineering related paths, participants’ engineering skills and knowledge are tested as they collaborate to construct the strongest, most cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing truss bridges through the use of barbeque sticks while being under time pressure. Teams have the chance of winning from a prize pool of PHP 30 000 worth of cash prizes.


NCES 2023 also provides opportunities for civil engineering job-seekers to connect with different companies through the Civil Engineering Career Fair. The event consists of a physical job fair, company talks, career talks, and an online video series that would widen participants’ knowledge of possible civil engineering related professions and help them prepare for their future as nation-builders.


The Civil Engineering Lab Tour is a 2-hour tour for high school and college students around UP ICE grounds showcasing the laboratories and equipment used in different civil engineering fields. The tour contains a total of 6 stations, one for each field (Construction, Structural, Geomechanics & Water, Environment & Transportation, Geodetic) and one for games. The high school lab tour includes introduCE, a short talk with a civil engineer so as to provide an introduction into civil engineering and insights from the profession as well. On the other hand, the college lab tour will include a career talk.


One of the most-awaited events of the summit is the National Civil Engineering Symposium. With over 4000 participants each year, it remains one of the largest gatherings of civil engineering students, professionals and enthusiasts in the country. This one-day event includes talks from credible speakers that work in the engineering industry so as to discuss the relevance of different aspects of civil engineering and its contributions to society. Aside from being able to hold discussions and spread knowledge, the essence of the symposium is to inspire more people to take action through civil engineering with the betterment of the Philippines and the Filipino people at its heart.


The most highly-anticipated and largest civil engineering quiz bee in the Philippines makes its comeback this year as the brightest undergraduate civil engineering students nationwide will compete in the National Civil Engineering Quiz. On the last day of the summit, teams of 2 will go through 4 stages of questions all related to civil engineering. Its goal is to promote scholastic excellence among students and enhance computational and critical-thinking skills. Additionally, all teams will receive vouchers from Review Innovations, the main partner of NCES 2023, and will have the chance to win from a prize pool of PHP 70 000 worth of cash prizes.


As much as NCES celebrates the growth and innovation of engineering up to today, it is also an avenue for pushing the limits of civil engineering and what good it can be. Having “civil” in the name, it is with great hope that through this summit, it is realised that civil engineering is and will always be in service to the people. So join us this September as we reinforce our foundations, diversify our horizons, and pave the way towards endless possibilities.


To not miss any update, follow the official Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ncesummit) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/NCESummit) pages of NCES.


Written by By Akki Tiggangay

How To Avoid Getting Scammed When Selling Your Loose Diamonds

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Trading diamonds can be a lucrative way to make money. However, the diamond market is volatile, so you must conduct research before attempting a sale, even if you are a seasoned jeweler with years of experience.

Understanding the process and being wary of particular transactions is crucial to avoid scamming. Nightmare stories of consumers having their diamonds switched to worthless gems are not news, but even jewelers must be wary to ensure they do not get scammed and have their business suffer.

As a jeweler, your business depends on getting a fair price for your diamonds, so when selling your loose diamonds, following the tips below is critical to avoid getting scammed.

The Tops Tips To Avoid Getting Scammed

Even with the emergence of lab-grown diamonds, the value of natural diamonds has remained steady. More than that, experts share that their value has increased over the last few years. So yes, now is a great time to sell your loose diamonds through the best possible means to invest that money back into your business.


1. Do Your Research

As a jeweler, you are already familiar with the industry and its ins and outs. Still, when considering selling your loose diamonds, you must pay attention to your industry and see what the market looks like. Check the current market conditions and attend jewelry and gem shows to see what is trending.

You will also benefit from consulting with a diamond expert who may not tell you where to sell loose diamonds but can give you insight into the price point you can expect. Once you research, you will have a clearer idea of the expected price.

2. Find A Company With Rave Reviews

Most brands that purchase diamonds will need you to send them the gems to properly analyze before giving you a price. Since you are trusting your loose diamonds in the hands of strangers, it is essential to check how reputable the company is beforehand.

When doing business with a company through online means, you must be sure that the company has a good reputation before trusting them with your precious items.

Thankfully, plenty of means exist to check how genuine a company is. It is best to go beyond the company's website for proper research. Start with their social media pages. Read the comments and see what other jewelers have said about their experience with the company. You must refrain from doing business with the company if there are several complaints or horror stories.

Reviews on the company's website can give you an idea, but the people behind the company can easily edit such comments. For proper research, visit independent review websites where consumers can rate their experience with the company without being edited. The company you work with should have stellar reviews, with hundreds of customers praising their service and overall experience.

3. Insure Your Diamonds

When shipping your diamonds, always insure them to prevent financial loss in case your package gets lost or you are the victim of a scam. More than that, be sure that the insurance you choose covers you in case of fraud, as not all insurance policies do.

When selecting your insurance policy, speak to an expert who deals in Jewelers Block policies to ensure that your business has proper coverage and your inventory is also covered.

4. Choose A Brand That Provides Secure Transactions

Shipping a bag of diamonds to get evaluated can be frightening because it can easily get lost. For this reason, reputable brands that buy loose diamonds will provide secure transactions by opting for trusted shipping and logistics companies and secure payment methods.

The best online diamond buyers will also make the whole process reasonably easy. These professionals will guide you every step of the way and make it super easy to ship your diamonds safely and get your money securely. They will use reputable money transfer companies like PayPal and professional shipping companies like FedEx.

So when you deal with a company and the process feels too complicated, or the shipping system does not feel as secure as you hoped, take your time before giving in to avoid getting scammed.

 
Conclusion

Selling loose diamonds is part of your jewelry business. Getting the best price is how you can have a bigger budget to invest in newer and more modern pieces to adhere to the demands of your consumers, stay on top of trends, and continue to refresh your designs

Selling your loose diamonds at a great price is therefore essential, and while you may have years of experience in the business, it is always good to do some homework before selling to ensure you do not get scammed.

A Comprehensive Guide To Mastering SEO For Sustainable Organic Growth

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SEO is critical for achieving sustainable growth in the digital landscape. It entails optimizing content and websites to enhance visibility and ranking on search engines. Mastering this technique can increase a website’s position in web search results and ultimately grow performance and conversions.

However, this process can be complex. It may take some time to see tangible results from your SEO efforts. You must identify fundamental areas to work on to ensure higher organic ranking, traffic, and sales. Below are essential aspects for sustainable organic growth.




1. Keyword Research

Keywords are phrases people use to search for information on search engines like Google, Duckduckgo, and Yahoo! An SEO expert focused in organic growth must have keyword research at the center of their SEO campaigns.

Thorough and strategic keyword analysis aids in understanding what the target audience seeks online. Identifying specific statements they use helps to gain insights into their needs, intent, and pain points.

After keyword identification, you can strategically incorporate them into website content, including headings, meta descriptions, and the article body. This optimization signals to search engines that the content has relevant keywords, improving the chances of ranking higher in search results.

Keyword research also entails evaluating the competition for specific keywords. Identify which keywords are highly competitive and which have lower competition. Using less competitive ones often provides quicker wins and establishes authority in any niche.




2. On-Page SEO

On-page SEO involves optimizing pages to enhance a website’s search engine rankings to earn organic traffic. Strategically including relevant keywords in titles, headers, and content increases the likelihood of ranking for those keywords. It attracts traffic from users searching for specific products or topics related to the content.

On-page SEO encourages the creation of informative, high-quality, and engaging content. Content that appeals to user intent ranks better and keeps visitors on the site longer. It reduces bounce rates and improves the chance of conversion.

Furthermore, the increasing use of mobile devices for online browsing makes optimizing pages for mobile vital. On-page SEO can help mobile-friendly pages rank better in mobile search results. It provides a smooth experience for users with handheld devices.




3. Quality Content

High-quality, valuable content targeting a specific audience is crucial for SEO. Many search engines aim to provide users with the best search results with quality content. Creating content with invaluable information and addressing user intent can make this possible.

Engaging and valuable content makes visitors stay on a website longer. That transmits positive signals to the search engine for better ranking and traffic.

High-quality content is more likely to get shared and linked to from external sites. When authoritative pages link to quality content, it boosts the site’s credibility and authority before search engines. High-graded content is a cornerstone of SEO success that can heighten growth in the digital world.




4. Technical SEO

Technical SEO entails optimizing websites and servers to help search engines rank a site more effectively. Essentially, it ensures a website is easy to navigate and has no technical issues. A fast-loading website pleases visitors and aligns with search engine preferences.

Search engines constantly send bots to crawl sites for content updates. Technical SEO ensures that these bots quickly access and index your pages. Proper XML sitemaps, URL structures, and a clear hierarchy help with this process.

Regarding security, most search engines give preference to websites with HTTPS. Ensuring a site uses SSL certificates is a technical SEO task that affects user trust and rankings. Moreover, technical SEO can identify and correct 404 errors, broken links, and server errors.




5. Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO implies utilizing methods outside a site to boost its ranking on SERPs. It helps build a website’s recognition and domain authority. Without it, the site can rank below others with a more substantial lead.

Off-page SEO revolves around building quality backlinks from relevant and authoritative websites. These backlinks serve as votes of confidence in a website and content. Search engines consider websites with more quality backlinks as more credible and trustworthy.

Guest posting on authority blogs is also a prolific off-page SEO tactic. It showcases expertise, adds exposure, and earns valuable backlinks. Building a solid off-page SEO strategy can amplify online presence and contribute to long-term success on SERPs.

 
6. User Experience

User experience, or UX in short, is all about providing a seamless, enjoyable experience for users once they come across a website. An excellent UX reduces bounce rate. That positively signals search engines that a site offers relevant content.

Slow-loading pages stress out users and can trigger a high bounce rate. Page load speed is a prevalent factor for SEO. Optimizing site speed improves UX and boosts its position in search results.

Intuitive navigation also makes it easy for anyone to find the information they seek. Internal linking, clear menus, and a logical site structure contribute to a positive user experience and help search engines understand the content on a site. Improving UX can contribute to sustainable organic growth through enhanced SEO performance.


Summing Up

Mastering SEO to gain growth is an ongoing and strategic process fundamental to digital success. Understanding and implementing various search engine optimization components ensures long-term results.

Ensure you provide quality via content, target appropriate keywords, and build trust and authority. Also, promote UX, improve site loading, and work with other blogs for backlinks.