The UP Diliman College of Engineering (COE) paid tribute to its outstanding staff, faculty, and researchers on June 13 at the Engineering Theater of Melchor Hall.
The college celebrated excellence among COE faculty and staff at the Araw ng Parangal sa Paggunita ng ika-114 na Anibersaryo ng Kolehiyo ng Inhenyeriya (Araw ng Parangal). The COE Faculty Awards (CFA) and the COE Staff Awards (CSA) were given at the event.
The CFA is given to faculty members who have shown outstanding performance in the conduct of their duties, while the CSA recognizes the college’s administrative staff and research, extension, and professional staff (REPS) “who excellently perform even beyond their duties and responsibilities” and exemplify the core principles of the college: knowledge, progress, and service.
Under the CFA are the Outstanding Engineering Instructor Award, Outstanding Young Engineering Researcher Award, Limcaoco Instructor Award for Excellence in Teaching, Outstanding Engineering Researcher Award, Outstanding Engineering Professor Award, and The UP Alumni Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Outstanding Engineering Instructor Award was given to Jommer M. Medina, an instructor at the Department of Geodetic Engineering (DGE). He was honored for his “consistent and outstanding performance of day-to-day college assignments for the first and second semester of this academic year.” He also received the Outstanding Young Engineering Researcher Award (instructor category).
Aside from Medina, Roseanne V. Ramos, an assistant professor at the DGE, received the Outstanding Young Engineering Researcher Award (assistant professor category). The award is given to faculty members who have shown “outstanding research productivity in the past three years.”
The Limcaoco Instructor Award for Excellence in Teaching was given to Rusloyd S. Lariba, an instructor at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering (DMMME). He was recognized for his “teaching effectiveness, teaching innovation, undergraduate advising of a senior course, and mentoring in a competition.”
Recipients of the Outstanding Engineering Researcher award were Magdaleno R. Vasquez Jr., DEng, associate professor at the DMMME, under the associate professor category, and Joey D. Ocon, PhD, professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering (DChE) under the professor category. The award is given to faculty members who have displayed “outstanding research productivity in the past five years.”
Czar Jakiri S. Sarmiento, PhD, associate professor at the DGE, received the Outstanding Engineering Professor Award for his “consistent and outstanding performance of day-to-day college assignments, as well as for honors brought to the College.”
The UP Alumni Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Guillermo Q. Tabios III, PhD, professor emeritus of the Institute of Civil Engineering. The award is given to retired COE faculty members who have “dedicated long years of full-time quality service to the college and have contributed meritorious achievements over their entire career.”
All CFA awards included cash gifts provided by the Engineering Research and Development Foundation, Inc.
Meanwhile, 22 COE administrative staff and REPS received the CSA.
The Haligi ng Engineering, the CSA’s highest category, was given to Mark Andrew B. Alelojo, a laboratory technician from the DMMME.
Omar Rosario, an administrative assistant from the Environmental Engineering Group, and Cynthia P. Sikat, an administrative aide from the DChE, tied for Most Heartwarmeng’g Staff recognition.
Most inspirEng’g Story was awarded to Ferly-Ann Bustillos, an administrative aide at the National Graduate School of Engineering, whose story of triumph over adversity was deemed the most inspiring among the nominees.
Sixteen administrative staff and REPS were given loyalty awards for their five, 10, 15, 25, and 30 years of service to the college.
Recognized posthumously were Ma. Elena C. Ignacio, a former administrative officer at the National Engineering Center, and Benjamin P. Hipolito, a former machinist at the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Each CSA carried a corresponding cash gift.
In addition to the CFA and the CSA, the COE also gave its custodial and security personnel some cash gifts.
The cash gifts of both the CSA recipients and the custodial and security personnel were provided by the Tau Alpha Foundation, Inc.
Eden May B. Dela Peña, PhD, an associate professor at the DMMME, and Imelda N. Ocampo, a senior administrative assistant at the College Secretary’s Office, were also recognized at the Araw ng Parangal for being this year’s recipients of the Gawad Tsanselor Natatanging Guro and PUSO Award, respectively.
The Araw ng Parangal was also part of the COE’s celebration of its 114th founding anniversary. According to their website, the COE was founded on 13 June 1910, “the fifth college unit to be created after the establishment of the University of the Philippines on June 18, 1908.”