The UP Diliman (UPD) Industrial Engineering (IE) program continues its journey towards excellence with the visit of a program evaluation team from the Philippine Technological Council-Accreditation and Certification Board for Engineering and Technology (PTC-ACBET).

According to Director Aura C. Matias of the Quality Assurance Office (QAO), one major benefit for graduates of PTC-ACBET accredited programs is the recognition of engineering qualifications outside of the country.

“Our graduates that are accredited by PTC get mutual recognition as engineers in member countries of the Washington Accord. So, in effect, if our graduate migrates or finds a job in other countries like the US, Australia, Saudi Arabia, or whoever is the country signatory, you have the credentials of an engineer. You don’t have to subject yourself to the licensure of that country.…We want our graduates to be on par with all other engineers, even in the first-world countries,” Matias said.

According to the International Engineering Alliance website, the Washington Accord “is a multi-lateral agreement between bodies responsible for accreditation or recognition of tertiary-level engineering qualifications within their jurisdictions who have chosen to work collectively to assist the mobility of professional engineers.” So far, the accord has 23 signatories and seven provisional signatories across the globe.

The program evaluation team led by Cynthia Posadas (team chair) and Dennis Anthony Kilong-Kilong (program evaluator) along with Lourdes Lasian (program evaluator on training), Engineering Accreditation Commission Chair May Rose C. Imperial, PTC President Federico Monsada, and ACBET Chair Lydia Tansinsin visited IE facilities and laboratories, and interviewed key IE personnel from April 24 to 26 and presented their preliminary findings at the exit meeting attended by University officials and held at the GE Theater on April 26.

The IE program joins the Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Materials Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering, and Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering programs which have been assessed by the PTC-ACBET.

UPD Vice Chancellor for Administration Adeline A. Pacia speaking at the meeting said, “The increasing number of quality assured degree programs is a testament to our efforts and commitment towards continuous quality improvement and making our degree programs at par with world’s best.”

The result of the IE accreditation visit is expected to be released in the latter half of 2024. The next program to be assessed later this year is the Bachelor of Science in Geodetic Engineering.