UST FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
GEARS UP FOR LIMITED FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES FROM PAGE 1
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Thomasian Engineer Researchers Bag Awards in Asia Symposium FROM PAGE 1 His presentation focused on the opportunities, deployment, and challenges of wearable technologies for chronic health care monitoring. Engr. Silverio led the exhibition of the following ongoing studies funded by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD): “Design of a Wearable Sweat Rate Sensor using Calorimetric Flow on a Microfluidic Patch,” co-authored by Kiara S. Esguerra, Jerard Vincent R. Ang, and Ho Tatt Wei; and “Development of a Wearable System for Fall Detection and Physiological Signs Monitoring,” co-authored by Mhar Ian Estayan, Edgardo Giuseppe G. Catambing, and Carl Anderson Lei Yee.
ngr. Cristina E. Tiangco, PhD, ChE department chair, said that the department has submitted their proposal following the CHED’s required courses for Chemical Engineering. This includes Chemical Engineering Laboratory 1 and 2 and Process Control Laboratory. “We are also retrofitting the laboratory facilities to ensure that laboratories adhere to the safety practices,” Tiangco continued. In addition to this, designated waste segregation bins in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards will be provided for safety precautions. Asst. Prof. Nelson M. Pasamonte, MS, ASEAN Engr., ME department chair, narrated that a survey was given to 4th year ME students, measuring their willingness to partake in the limited face-to-face classes. Out of 195 respondents, the majority are willing to participate while the latter are not willing to participate. With their reasons being the “lack of accessible public transport, as the number one concern, followed by parental consent, financial concern, geographical location, and personal health condition—the top five reasons for reservations to attend limited face-to-face classes,” Asst. Prof. Pasamonte stated. But a resurvey will be conducted, to again verify if students are willing to participate despite the additional requirements (i.e. swab tests, must be fully vaccinated, PhilHealth). According to dela Cruz, only important courses with learning outcomes that are difficult to achieve via Enriched Virtual Mode (EVM) will be conducted face-to-face. “We have prioritized in the proposal the graduating students and perhaps will extend the proposal to lower year levels in the next academic year,” dela Cruz added. As for safety precautions, all departments are guided by CHED’s Memorandum Order No. 19 series of 2021 and the memorandum released by the university’s Secretary-General. Everything will go under CHED’s inspection, representative of DOH, and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) if the plan is ready, for assessment and evaluation. Furthermore, cyclical cohorting will be implemented to manage the number of students and minimize the number of days going
on-site without compromising the target learning outcomes. Safety officers will monitor the strict implementation of health and safety protocols such as physical distancing, disinfection of rooms and equipment in between cohorts, installation of automatic alcohol dispensers and acrylic barriers, and ensuring the use of face masks at any given time. As for physical facilities, “we have already coordinated with the Facilities and Management Office (FMO) and UST Health Service for the retrofitting of laboratory rooms and the Roque Ruaño building in general, including the foot traffic, zonal division, signages, installation of stanchions, proper ventilation, among others,” said dela Cruz. The Faculty of Engineering aims to implement the limited face-toface classes at earliest on the 1st week of February 2022. Meanwhile, Pasamonte said that the target date for ME department is in the last week of February, for 4th year students, where only a 15-hour recommendation is presented while the department is suggesting a 20hour time period, which will be utilized for the experimental courses and to also make time for review of prior laboratory courses. For ECE, Roxas stated that “initially the department is preparing for its implementation by late March for 4th year ECE students only.”
When asked about his experience in joining the symposium, he expressed that it was a great honor and privilege for him to be one of the representatives of the University of Santo Tomas in the event. Aside from the participants mentioned above, Asst. Prof. Ruth Marie I. Equipaje, MS, and Assoc. Prof. Lilia C. de Jesus, PhD of the UST Research Center for Culture, Arts and Humanities (RCCAH), also partook in the event.
Engineering Recruitment Fair Opens, Seeks New Members
PHOTO BY: CHRISTIAN MUNGCAL
FROM PAGE 1 UST Pax Romana – Engineering Unit, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers- UST (ASHRAE), Rotaract Club – Engineering Unit, UST Engineering Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Engineering Dance Troupe (EDT), Cisco Networking Academy Gateway (CNAG), Operations Research Society of the Philippines – UST Chapter (ORSP), and UST Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Student Branch took part in the program. A short interview with the presidents was then conducted after each presentation. UST One Voice and Engineering Dance Troupe graced the event with their intermission number performing song and dance covers. Kenneth Allen Albeda, President of UST-ChES and SOCC Board of Director, concluded the first day of the Recruitment Fair Week with his closing remarks. The 16 organizations decked the second and third day of the recruitment fair by posting their promotional videos on their respective Facebook pages to encourage applicants. The promotional videos highlighted the organization’s mission, vision, and excellence throughout the years, as exhibited by its recognitions and projects, including seminars, webinars, assistance programs, and tutorial sessions. The recruitment fair ended with the announcements of the Best Audio Visual Presentation (AVP), Best Poster, and Most Recruited Members, wherein UST-EDT, UST-ChES, and ORSP-UST garnered the said awards, respectively.
PHOTO BY: SOPHIA ANDREA SONTHITHAI
ORSP-UST Launches EXPLORE: OR Community Drive for Aeta Students WRITTEN BY: MARK RAFAEL SANTOS
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he Operations Research Society of the Philippines - UST Chapter (ORSP-UST) spearheaded EXPLORE: OR Community Drive, a community development project for the Aeta community, via Google Meet that spanned seven weeks—with the first session kicking off on October 16 and the last session on December 4, 2021. With the pandemic impeding the project’s fulfillment, twenty (20) Aeta grade 10 students of Villa Maria Integrated School from Porac, Pampanga, finally participated in the event to boost their knowledge in different Mathematical topics discussed through the eight modules in the project. ORSP-UST prepared a learning kit containing school supplies, printed handouts, video lectures, and assessment tests, which served as the students’ weekly module. A prepaid Wi-Fi kit with airtime credits, and snacks was also provided to give a better
learning experience for the community. Commencing the end of the seven-week event was the registration and games open for all the participants. Following was the message from Prof. Manolo Binuya, Engineering Community Development Coordinator, and the awarding of certificates for the Aeta students and their teachers. Engr. Gabriel Bucu, ORSP-UST adviser, delivered a closing remark that expressed the project’s essence and the organization’s gratitude for the participation of the chosen community. Afterward, the partner community showcased a surprise video appreciation for the efforts of the ORSP-UST in reaching the community. ORSP-UST gave an off-session post-test to measure the students’ acquired knowledge before the event was formally concluded.