APRIL 2011
U.P. Newsletter 11
Pascual notes achievements in engineering R&D (Continued from page 4)
up success factors are addressing a major market need, providing a unique solution, executing a sound plan, having a strong technical and management team and possessing solid financial support. Dr. Filemon Uriarte, Jr., chairperson of LAUDS Technologies, Inc., academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology and former secretary of the DOST, said that “innovation goes far beyond R&D [or research and development],” as it involves users, suppliers and consumers. He said that innovation also covers government, businesses and NGOs across borders, sectors and institutions. Innovation, Uriarte said, can be classified into four types. These are product innovation, process innovation, marketing innovation and organizational innovation. Uriarte identified five priority actions
to promote innovation: instituting policies that encourage investment in innovation; providing adequate public and private investment for both engineering and scientific R&D; facilitating the transfer and commercialization of innovative technological advances; promoting partnerships that link R&D performers and users; and creating and supporting life-long education initiatives to enhance competitiveness. The ERDT Program consists of a consortium of eight universities, which are Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), De La Salle University (DLSU), Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), University of San Carlos (USC), UP Los Baños (UPLB) and UP Diliman College of Engineering
(UPD-COE) as the lead agency. It was approved by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2007 and was given a funding of P3.5 billion. The latter was allocated among the four major components of the program. These are scholarships that aim to produce a critical mass of research-trained engineers with graduate degrees; research and development; infrastructure development; and faculty development. According to UPD-COE Dean and ERDT Program Leader Dr. Aura Matias, the 6th ERDT Conference marked a fitting close to the ERDT’s first cycle and the beginning of its second cycle. “Our message for this year is technological entrepreneurship and innovation,” Matias said in her closing remarks. “We have to go beyond R&D. We have the talent pool, and we have worked hard for
Ouster of UP Cebu dean demanded (Continued from page 1)
Agency,” Avila said. UP Vice-President for Administration Maragtas Amante flew to UPCC last March 6 on a fact-finding mission to meet with the various sectors involved in the controversy. A statement posted by UP President Alfredo Pascual in his Facebook account, and forwarded to the UP Newsletter by VPA Amante, said that the parties calling for Dean Avila’s ouster were advised to submit their formal complaint to the UP System. Pascual added that his office received the complaint last March 17, and that the following day, after being reviewed by the Office of the Vice-President for Legal Affairs, he signed a memorandum designating a UP lawyer to conduct a preliminary investigation of the complaint.
In the same statement, Pascual called on all parties to wait for the report from the assigned preliminary investigator. “The principle of due process must be [upheld],” Pascual said. “This is the guarantee of protection for all of us from any undue action by those in authority.” Congressional inquiry
Last March 15, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino filed House Resolution No. (HRN) 1091 calling for a House inquiry into the alleged irregularities at UP Cebu. The proposed resolution has been referred to the House Committee on Rules. Quoting from the March 1 petition submitted by UPCC’s selected students, faculty and staff to Pascual, HRN 1091
identified six acts for which Avila, Sharif and Pineda should be held liable: “Technical malversation of funds in violation of Art. 220 of the Revised Penal Code; Entering into disadvantageous contracts in violation of Section 3 (g) of RA 3019; Unlawful composition of Bids and Awards Committee in violation of Section 11, Article V of RA 9184; Arbitrary and discriminatory acts against faculty and staff in violation of Section 3 (f) of RA 3019 and the UP Charter; Receiving money from job order employees in violation of Section 3 (b) of RA 3019; and Arbitrary removal of student representation in the Executive Committee and College Com-mittees in violation of the UP Charter.” (with report from Ador Vincent Mayol, Cebu Daily News.)
the past three years. It is time for us to move beyond the classroom. It is time for us to show that engineering by Filipinos for the Filipinos works.” The members of the ERDT Steering Committee are UPD-COE Dean and ERDT Program Leader Matias. The project leaders of the respective consortium universities are AdMU College of Science and Engineering Dean Fabian Dayrit; CLSU College of Engineering Dean Ireneo Agulto; DLSU College of Engineering Dean Pag-asa Gaspillo; MIT Graduate School Dean Jonathan Salvacion; USC College of Engineering Dean Andresa Allera; UPLB Institute of Agricultural Engineering Director Arnold Elepaño; and UPD-COE Associate Dean for Instruction and Research Menandro Berana.
Admin looking into UP Cebu row—Pascual (Continued from page 1)
Pascual assured the protesters that the administration would take appropriate action once concrete evidence is gathered. In the meantime, he announced the formation of a committee under Concepcion to investigate the issues and look at the evidence. Pascual reiterated his commitment to due process, urged the complainants to help gather evidence and called for more sobriety among the protesters. The protesters expressed their appreciation of Pascual’s gesture to update them on the matter and dispersed peacefully at around 1 p.m. Bong Arboleda
Volcanic eruptions, weather patterns must be closely monitored – UP prof
(Continued from page 1)
ration with the Japan Foundation and the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) held the symposium on “Eco-cultural Adaptations in Volcanic Environments” from February 25 to 28. Since the Philippines is within the Pacific Ring of Fire, Yumul said that it is necessary to study eruptions like those of Mt. Pinatubo. The Pacific Ring of Fire is a series of volcanoes which stretch from New Zealand in the Southwest Pacific to Japan Northwest Pacific and from the Aleutians in the Northeast Pacific to Chile on the Southeast Pacific. Yumul said that the Philippines does not only experience volcanic eruptions but also seismic activities which are due to the movement of the tectonic plates under the Pacific Ocean. A movement in one end of the Ring results in a corresponding movement in another part of it. Aside from the volcanic and seismic activity, Yumul said that the country must also consider weather patterns in studying the extent of volcanic damage to lives and property. Weather patterns could worsen or limit the dangers of volcanic activity. He said that it is important to take note of the country’s wet and dry months. Weather in the country has in recent years been inter-related to the weather in South America due to the El Niño-South-
ern Oscillation phenomenon. He said that whenever the Philippines experiences its dry months, South America is experiencing its wet months, and vice versa. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon is a weather-related situation which occurs across the Pacific Ocean. It is characterized by alternate shifting periods of dry and wet seasons in Western and Eastern regions. For the year 2011, Yumul said that more and stronger typhoons are expected, with the “super typhoon” category being seen more often. “What we expect to be normal is no longer normal.” He said that while the gross domestic product (GDP) for 2010 may have reported a positive growth of 7.3 percent, there was a decrease of production in the agricultural sector from 0.2 percent to 0.5 percent due to irregular climate patterns and harsh weather conditions. Saying that “climate uncertainty is no longer the exception but the rule,” Yumul stressed the need to have community-level disaster risk management training, preparations and schemes to limit the damage which typhoons, droughts, volcanic eruptions and seismic activities might bring. He said that disaster risk management is no longer a mere weather and climactic issue because it is also economic.
Metallurgy expert visits UP Diliman Fathi Habashi, an expert in extractive metallurgy, will lecture at UP Diliman from March 7 to 9 at the College of Engineering Theater. Habashi is Professor Emeritus at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada.